See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

No longer extant. A church house, mentioned in churchwardens' accounts 1479-1580. Former location reported by an East street resident to the Ordnance Survey in 1951 as being at SX 7555 6988, although Copeland (1963) suggests a site on the east side of North Street; that of the old Mermaid Tavern (MDV23236).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX76NE4
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444719
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76NE/22

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHURCH HOUSE (XV to XVI - 1479 AD (Between) to 1580 AD (Between))

Full description

Worthy, C., 1875, Ashburton and its Neighbourhood, 44 (Monograph). SDV347162.

Ashburton Church House in North Street, built or repaired in 1487/8, is now occupied by Mr Yolland's drapers shop.

Pearson, J. B., 1900, Church Houses in Devon, 209 (Article in Serial). SDV5752.

Mentioned in the records of the charity commissioners in 1818. At that time, the rent it yielded was merged with the income from other charities.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1951, SX75NE4 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV300708.

(17/07/1951) The church house existed within living memory and a new shop now exists on its site.

Copeland, G. W., 1963, Devonshire Church Houses: Part 4, 135-6, plate 5 (Article in Serial). SDV7678.

The church-house in Ashburton stood near the shambles. Its site is identificable with a 15/16th century building on the east side of North Street, which is now a shop but is sometimes referred to as the old Mermaid Tavern (an accompanying illustration shows the shop as "T E J Smerdon General Ironmonger") Church house, mentioned in churchwardens' accounts 1479-1580. Nothing now standing in the vicinity of the church indicative of a church-house, but the Rev. G. Jones and the Rev. H. Fulford Williams refer to a house called 'Church House' near the Shambles (parochial history section, Ashburton file, list of church lands. ) the Church-House is probably the late Medieval building still standing on the east side of north street, which would have faced the market house or shambles. Now converted into a shop but is sometimes pointed out as the old Mermaid Tavern. It is a rectangular house of two storeys with a high-pitched slated roof. Dates apparently from the first half of the 15th century, with 16th century alterations. Probably built of rubble masonry, plastered over later. To the right is a good two-centered granite doorway with a chamfered head, admitting to a passage and retaining a later rectangular wooden ovolo-moulded frame to a later inner door. Left of this doorway, which has a relieving arch exposed, is a small altered window, also with a relieving arch exposed. Modern shop window occupies rest of ground floor front. The upper front floor has two rectangular windows, probably of three lights, whose labels only survive, plastered over like the rest of the front. In the roof is a small modern dormer window .

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 01/04/2022 (Website). SDV364039.

The position of Mr Yolland's shop, now occupied by a modern shoe repair shop built about 1900, was pointed out at SX 75556988 by Mr Eales (East Street resident), born 1876. Undated information; no further detail given.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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