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Summary

19th century blacksmith's house at New Quay

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Built, XIX - 1832 AD to 1841 AD (Between))

Full description

Buck, C., 2006, New Quay: Archaeological Assessment, 27-8; Figures 5-7, 20, 23 (Report - Assessment). SDV336511.

Blacksmiths House (Site 21) shown on 1867 map with a garden to the north & east & an attached privy or outhouse on the north side. A boundary wall extends west marking the northern boundary of the south copper ore quay. The house was probably built between 1932 and 1841. The survey in 2006 found a three storey rubble building with four extant walls. The north & south walls were up to 6 metres high with the gable ends up to 7 metres high. Two wide brick arched fireplaces were located at either end of the ground floor with the western one converted to take a 'copper boiler' with a square brick surround.

Team Surveys, 2009, New Quay, Devon, 21 (Plan - measured). SDV356725.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Houghton, P., 2015, An Archaeological and Historical Report on New Quay Nr Tavistock Devon Volume One, 89-96, fig 8, 109-119 (Report - Assessment). SDV363202.

Building probably built between 1832-1841 (citing Buck, 2006). From 1841-1871 it was occupied by blacksmith John Redstone, taken over from 1881 by an accountant (John Perry) and later by John Symons, a horseman/carter and his family. In 1861 census records show there were 13 people living in the building, which suggests it was fairly cramped.
Virtually all four walls of this three-story random rubble building survive, although roof and timbers are missing. The internal timbers, floor joist and building lintels were replaced by the Morwellham Trust in the late 1980s. Some repointing was also done at this point, using an inappropriate cement mix, which is clearly visible. The best preserved of those on the site, partly due to this restoration work. Much of the vegetation obscuring the building has been removed.
Internally there are two wide brick arched fireplaces on the ground floor in each gable end. Two smaller fireplaces are also partly remaining in each of the gable ends of the first and second floors. The west ground floor fireplace has been converted at some time to take a copper boiler built into a square brick surround (0.9 metres in width by 0.9 metres in depth by 1.2 metres in height) see fig 112. Appears to have been installed for the purpose of carrying out laundry work. The copper bowl is in poor condition, having been smashed at some point but original size and position can still be ascertained (fig 113).
The building appears to have had six rooms plus an annexe which may have been a kitchen or scullery. The first floor appears to have been accessed directly by a door in the first floor north wall but there does not appear be any trace of stairs leading up from the ground floor. This door on the first floor is accessed via the garden on the north side of the building (fig 117).
Originally there was an attached building on the north side at first floor level; possible kitchen or perhaps accommodation for a servant or apprentice blacksmith.
Outhouse/annexe has a debateable function; possible this served as a kitchen although there is no supporting evidence for this.

Houghton, P., 2015, An Archaeological and Historical Report on New Quay Nr Tavistock Devon Volume Two - Appendices, 193-4, figs 205-7 (Report - Assessment). SDV363236.

Site drawings of the three floors of the Blacksmaith's House.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV3989 - New Quay, Devon: Archaeological Assessment
• EDV6507 - Survey of New Quay (Ref: 090239)
• EDV8147 - Watching brief during vegetation clearance works at New Quay

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