See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

14th century houses accommodating choristers, clerks & priest of the Collegiate Church in Ottery St Mary

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY09NE/29/3

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COLLEGE OF SECULAR PRIESTS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

NMR, SY09NE30 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV336635.

On the left hand or south side of the broad walk which led from the gatehouse (see PRN 10354) to the wardens house (see PRN 10355) were 3 'Hospitia' or houses, parallel to each other. The first immediately on entering the college gate, was for choristers and their master. This was standing at the beginning of the 19th century, a gabled building lighted by a decorated window. The 2 other Hospitia were occupied, one by clerks and secondaries, the other by the priest vicars. The latter is now incorporated in the present "Vicarage House" (see PRN 19995). The former was pulled down with the school-house in 1884 (citing Dalton). Nothing of the Hospitia, alleged to be incorporated in the present vicarage is visible, and it is doubtful if there are any remains, though the vicarage was built c1880, and thus standing when Dalton wrote. The site of the Hospitia is now a garden, with no visible remains. Above appears to be correct in the assumption that the Hospitia is 'Site of' (citing OS).

Dalton, J. N., 1917, Untitled Source, 73-4, 296-6 (Monograph). SDV102603.

Site of 14th century Hospitia which were part of the secular College. The remains were at some time incorporated into the school (see PRN 10343) & vicarage (see PRN 19995). The first was for choristers & their masters, becoming part of the grammar school after the dissolution in 1545. It was still standing at the beginning of the 19th century as agabled building lighted by a decorated window. One of the other two Hospitia was occupied by clerks & secondaries & was demolished in 1884. The third Hospitia for priest vicars was incorporated into the present vicarage house. Other details: Plan.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SY09NE8 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV336572.

No earlier remains visible in the vicarage of c1880. The site of the Hospitia is now a garden with no visible remains.

Department of Environment, 1974, Ottery St Mary UD, 5 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV102862.

The vicarage contains a wall belonging to monastic buildings.

Exeter Archaeology, 1998, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Supermarket Development at Hind Street, Ottery St Mary, 4 (Report - Assessment). SDV336582.

Steinmetzer, M., 2015, Grandisson Court, Ottery St Mary (Report - Watching Brief). SDV359619.

Archaeological monitoring and recording was undertaken by Oakford Archaeology on land at Grandisson Court, Ottery St Mary, Devon (SY 0984 9552), in October 2015 during the redevelopment of the site. A number of medieval buildings, part of the collegiate school and later King’s School, existed within the boundaries of the site from the 14th century. All of these had been removed by 1883 and replaced by a house in the 1920's. During the development late 19th century robber trenches associated with the south range of the King's School were uncovered. Immediately to the west the remains of a large pit were exposed. The infilling was dated to the late 16th-early 17th century. This is significant as they represent the first excavated evidence of the medieval school buildings.

The remains of a roughly E-W aligned robber trench [102] was uncovered during the works. This seems to represent the rear wall of the medieval collegiate and later King’s School. This was built some time after the establishment of a collegiate church for secular priests by Bishop Grandisson in 1335.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4014 - Archaeological assessment of a proposed supermarket development at Hind Stre
• EDV6975 - Monitoring and Recording, Grandisson Court, Ottery St Mary (Ref: 15-05)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.