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Summary

Hotel, formerly a house perhaps dating from the mid 15th century, remodelled in the 17th century and considerably extended in the 18th century or early 19th century with further additions in later 20th century. Shows an interesting development of plan form with some good quality features.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1250501: MANOR HOUSE HOTEL

Other References/Statuses

• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 432889

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Early Medieval to XXI - 1066 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Southwest Archaeology, 14/04/2015, The Manor House Complex and The Farmers Arms, Woolsery, Devon. Desk Based Assessment & Historic Building Recording (Report - Survey). SDV359537.

The Manor House is an exceptional example of a complex multi-phase building. It has an 18th century main front range with a remarkably complete interior. This is built onto a late 15th/16th century medieval building, with a former open hall and evidence of extensive 17th century alterations during which the hall was floored and a small stone stair turret was built against the south-west corner of the hall to provide access to the new first floor.
Adjoining the Manor House on the west side is a small single storey outbuilding constructed in local vernacular style of slatestone and shale rubble with roughly dressed stone quoins and a single pitch slate roof.
A date stone in the grounds of the Manor House gives the date 1712 with the names Bartholomew and Sarah Prust.
See report for full details.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Woolfardisworthy House' marked on 1880s-1890s 25 inch Ordnance Survey map.

Department of Environment, 1989, Woolfardisworthy (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV15502.

Manor House Hotel. Formerly house. Circa 1500 remodelled in circa early 17th century considerably extended in 18th century probably 1751 with further addition in later 20th century. Rendered stone rubble walls. Hipped slate roof. Brick stack at each end of front range and one axial to rear wing.
Plan: the rear wing is in fact the earlier with the front part of it at least dating back to circa 1500 when it had an open hall with central hearth. This hall was floor with a stack inserted and either extended or reroofed in circa early 17th century. It may have been a 3-room-and-tnrough-passage house of which the lower end has been remodelled on the 18th century front block. This may correlate to a datestone of 1751 found in an outbuilding with the initials of Bartholomew and Sarah Prust. It consists of 2 rooms with a central entrance hall and stair wing behind in angle with earlier rear wing. To the rear of this again a 20th century extension was added.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 5-window front to 18th century block of early 19th century 12-pane hornless sashes. Central possibly 18th century doorcase with Doric columns, cornice and entablature and semi-circular fanlight over 6-panel door. At rear is wing behind left-hand end with hipped stair wing in angle between 2 ranges and 20th century extension beyond.
Interior: front range has early 19th century moulded ceiling band in right-hand room with flowers in corners and corresponding pilastered architraves to windows. Eighteenth century open string staircase with turned balusters, column newels and wreathed handrail. Front room of rear wing has re-used late 17th century bolection moulded panels applied to the walls and a contemporary moulded wooden cornice with dentils below. The room behind has a good quality intersecting moulded beamed ceiling of circa early 17th century. Above this room is one original smoke-blackened roof truss with plastered over feet which has a yoke at the apex and had a morticed collar and threaded purlins. Beyond it is a 17th century roof truss with collar halved on with dovetail lap-joint. To the rear of this is a thick full-height wall with signs in the plaster of a barrel ceiling. Beyond it again is another 17th century roof truss.
This building shows an interesting development of plan form with some good quality features and it occupies a prominent position in the centre of the village Other details: LBS number 432889.

Chappell, S., 2009, Woolsery Manor (Ground Photograph). SDV355644.

Southwest Archaeology, 2009, Woolsery Manor House, Woolsery Devon. Results of a Brief Building Survey (Report - Survey). SDV343243.

The house appears to contain the remains of a cross-passge house dating from the mid 15th century. The orientation of the first house, on an east-west axis, may suggest that it was formerly a long house, the lower (livestock) end being downhill to the south. A smoke-blackened roof truss survives above the southern room. In the mid 17th century a floor was inserted into the open hall, a chimney stack and stair were added and the building extended to the north. At this date the first floor chamber (the upper part of the former open hall) appears to have had a barrel-vaulted plaster ceiling. The building was substantially rebuilt and extended in the late 18th-early 19th century with further extension and alterations in the 20th century. See report for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4555 - Survey of Woolsery Manor House
• EDV6938 - Desk Based Assessment and Historic Building Recorded of the Manor House Complex and Farmers Arms, Woolsery (Ref: 150415)

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