See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Once a grand courtyard mansion, Pridhamsleigh is now divided into two properties; a tall west range known as Pridhamsleigh Manor and a south range with attendant agricultural buildings known as Pridhamsleigh Farm. The property is first recorded in the 13th century but was rebuilt in the early 17th century. Tree-ring dating of a rafter in the manor house showed it to have been felled in the early-mid 17th century. Another dated rafter from the farmhouse was felled no earlier that the latter half of the 16th century. These may well represent, therefore, the period of rebuilding.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1147332: PRIDHAMSLEIGH FARMHOUSE PRIDHAMSLEIGH MANOR

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76NW/3
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 100634
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX76NW 20

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANOR HOUSE (XVI to XVIII - 1501 AD to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

Copeland, G. W., 1937, Devon Dovecotes, 398 (Article in Serial). SDV266150.

Though considerably altered the remains of the Barton at Pridhamsleigh is said to date from the 14th century.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1950 - 1977, SX76NW20 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV342718.

1. 'Pridhamsleigh Remains of a Barton' shown on Ordnance Survey 6 inch map of 1904.
2. House of 16th century origin but much altered at various dates. Formerly quadrangular but most of north side destroyed. Constructed of rubble, partly slate hung.
3. Although there is evidence of comparatively recent renovations of portion of the house, a good proportionof it is obviously old. The house is built with limestone blocks in ragstone style with slate facing for the upper storey. There is one small window on the west side with a granite coping and dripstones in perpendicular style which must be at least of 16th century date.

Seymour, D. J., 1955 - 1958, The Smaller Manor Houses of Medieval Devon, 14 (Article in Serial). SDV6523.

Once the property of Buckfast Abbey. Cellars remain untouched. Exterior Ivy clad and crumbling.

Department of Environment, 1956, Totnes Rural District, 32 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV177635.

16th century origin, but much altered. Formerly quadrangular but most of north side destroyed. One room has 18th century panelling. Other details: Provisional list.

Department of Environment, 1985, Staverton, 45 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV155058.

Farmhouse. 16th and 17th century. Rubble with scantle slate hung front above ground storey. The left hand of the front has decoratively cut slates forming patterns, the right hand slates are larger. Slate roofs, gabled left and right. Two-storeys attics and cellars. Four window range. Nineteenth century two- and four-light casements with glazing bars, same with dripmoulds and moulded wooden lintels. Arched cellar doorway on north side with large chamfered wooden frame and plank door, flanked by blocked round-headed openings. Crosswing to south extends to south east and is now a separate house (Pridhamsleigh Farmhouse). Three window south elevation, first floor slate hung and one three-light moulded wooden first floor window with leaded panes. Truncated external chimney stack on north side of south wing. Outbuilding adjoining east forms third side of small yard, stone rubble with corrugated iron roof. Two storeys, ovolo-moulded mullion wooden windows and ovolo moulded wooden bressummer with carved stops over blocked window. Pigeon holes below eaves and in north gable end.
Interior: Pridamsleigh Manor has wooden ovolo moulded fireplace bressummer. Small ground floor room with bolection panelling cornice, niche with fluted pilasters and plaster shelf and marble chimneypiece. Another room has large granite fireplace with hollow chamfer. Staircase has remains of moulded balustrade. Stone vaulted cellars under north end. Other details: LBS 100634.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 759 (Monograph). SDV325629.

A large former manor house around three sides of a courtyard. Unusually tall (two and a half storeys over a cellar). Double-gabled front decorated with patterned slate-hanging. Much is 17th century work for the Gould family, probably around an earlier house. Arched cellar door with blocked round-headed openings. Inside, bolection and ovolu mouldings and a niche with fluted pilasters. Late 17th century gate piers with ball finials. Fine dovecote on a circular plan with conical slate roof.

2002, Tree ring date lists 2002 (Article in Serial). SDV361610.

Tree ring dates for Pridhamsleigh Manor and Farm (SX 749 677) noted; felling date ranges and dates: 1516–41; after 1557; after 1571; 1631–56.

Exeter Archaeology, 2004, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Alterations to Pridhamsleigh, Staverton (Report - Assessment). SDV321670.

Pridhamsleigh is a former manor house. The group of buildings is large and complex and in its present run-down state it is not immediately apparent that in the 17th and early 18th centuries this was a grand courtyard mansion. A number of aspects of the 17th century house are very well preserved including the fine series of ovolu-moulded windows, the doors and doorways and ornamental slate-hanging. The armorial window glass is now at Lew Trenchard. The property is currently divided into two: a tall west range known as Pridhamsleigh Manor and a south range with attendant agricultural buildings known as Pridhamsleigh Farm. The farm consists of a house on the south side of a courtyard with a wing, latterly a cider house, extending northwards from its eastern side and a large lower courtyard in which two long 19th century shippons face each other on the east and west sides. In the centre of the courtyard there was a Victorian square-shaped dung pit. This was infilled before the mid 20th century and is now capped with cement. There are also some minor 19th and 20th century buildings. The northern end of the upper courtyard was formerly enclosed by a narrow range whose central feature must have been the fine entrance porch of 1620, now at Lew Trenchard. The south front faces a small formal garden on two levels which probably dates from the 17th century. Other details: Plans and photographs.

Arnold, A. + Howard, R., 2008, Pridhamsleigh Manor and Farm, Staverton, near Ashburton, Devon. Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers (Report - Scientific). SDV347847.

A programme of tree-ring dating was undertaken at Pridhamsleigh in order to inform a programme or repairs and establish if the timbers remaining were original. It was also hoped that the data obtained would contribute to the further development of local reference material for the late 16th-early 17th century.
In its present state it is not apparent that in the 17th and early 18th century Pridhamsleigh was a grand courtyard mansion. It is currently divided into two properties; a tall west range known as Pridhamsleigh Manor and a south range with attendant agricultural buildings known as Pridhamsleigh Farm. The name is first recorded as Leigh, meaning wood, in a boundary dispute of AD1219. The name Proudhomme is first recorded in 1281. In 1343 John de Prodhome was granted the right for mass to be celebrated at the manor at a portable altar. There was, therefore, a substantial farmhouse at Pridhamsleigh by the late 13th-early 14th century. The property was acquired by the Gould family in the early 17th century. Edward Gould mentioned in an indenture of 1609 appears to have been responsible for a grand rebuilding programme at this time. An inventory prepared on his death in 1627 shows that the main body of the house surviving today had already been built.
The farmhouse comprises a two storey stone built range with a slate roof and much slate cladding. The south front faces a small formal garden, an arrangement likely to date from the 17th century. The north side, facing the courtyard is dominated by a large projecting chimneystack. The stack is contemporary with the house indicating that it was built with a fireplace and first floor chambers.
The northern end of the manor house has a huge chimneystack serving five fireplaces on three floors. The large and plain fireplace in the ground floor room suggests that this was the kitchen. This part of the house, therefore, seems to have been the service end and belongs to the main building phase of the house. The room at the southern end with a granite fireplace may have been a parlour or dining room. At the centre of the ground floor is a panelled room of circa 1700. Above are three first floor chambers with two further rooms on the second floor. A roof line indicating that this range was formerly lower can be seen in the chimneystack within the southern of these two rooms.
Samples for tree-ring dating were taken from timbers forming the roof of the former hall range, now the farmhouse, plus the roof and various ceiling beams and lintels from the manor house and also from the roof of the cider house. Analysis of 14 out of the 31 samples (17 were rejected as unsuitable) produced a single site chronology comprising three samples with an overall length of 138 rings which span the years 1420-1557. Of these, a principal rafter of the manor house is likely to have been felled in the early-mid 17th century perhaps representing the rebuilding that took place at this time. The two other dated timbers, rafters from the hall range and cider house were both felled no earlier than the latter half of the 16th century. Another rafter from the cider house is likely to have been felled in the early to mid 16th century, suggesting that the cider house roof contains timbers from at leat two different periods of felling.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 105 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Sixteenth and 17th century farmhouse. Subdivided into Pridhamsleigh Manor and Pridhamsleigh Farmhouse. Farmhouse only is at risk. North side of the Farmhouse has planning approval for conversion to two cottages. Part of the Farmhouse has suffered collapse. At risk from exposure and neglect. An Urgent Works Notice has been served. Other details: Photograph.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 98 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 103 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Farmhouse in very bad condition. Part of the Farmhouse has suffered collapse.At risk from exposure and neglect. Listed building consent granted for repairs which are due to start 2011-12. Priority B (Immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric; solution agreed but not yet implemented).

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV1560 - Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Alterations to Pridhamsleigh, Staverton
• EDV5309 - Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers at Pridhamsleigh, Staverton

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