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Summary

Combe Hill, formerly Woodbine Hill. Late 18th century house built for Admiral Thomas Graves. Burned down while being renovated.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1098052: COMBE HILL INCLUDING WALLS TO THE WALLED GARDEN

Other References/Statuses

• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 87110

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (XVIII to XX - 1701 AD to 2000 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Woodbine Hill marked on 1880s-1890s 25 inch Ordnance Survey map comprising a large L-shaped house with gardens on the north and east sides surrounded by a small area of parkland. .

Meller, H., 2011, Down and Out, Some Lost and Forgotten Devon Country Houses, 25 (Article in Serial). SDV347477.

Burned down in 2001 while being renovated.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

Combe Hill, including walls to the walled garden. Gentleman's villa. Described by Polwhele as 'the seat of Thomas Graves Esq. Captain the Royal Navy .... built in 1789', early 20th century alterations. Rendered, stone and brick construction, the end walls of the attic storey of framed construction; slate roof, half hipped at ends of main range; axial stacks to main range, stack to kitchen wing and end stack to music room.
Plan: L plan. A rectangular, double depth main range facing approximately south with a rear right kitchen wing at right angles, entrance on east side, 3 principal rooms facing south. Tall flint rubble walls form a service courtyard to the north of the main range and a large walled garden beyond it. The core of the house is late 18th century: the early 20th century alterations involved the addition of 3 projecting bays on the garden (south) elevation, a new stair and the addition of a single-storey music room at the east, linked to the main range by a glazed lean-to along the east front. The early 20th century work is high quality and sympathetic to the original, extending cornices and skirtings into the bays.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 3-bay south (garden) elevation with a 5-sided 2- storey projecting bay in the centre with a peaked slate roof and canted bays to left and right. A parapet above a bold dentil moulding breaks forward round the centre bays. The bays are glazed with early 20th century small pane timber sashes. The right return (entrance elevation) has an early 20th century gabled porch with a 2-leaf half-glazed outer door with a fanlight with spoke glazing and a window in the left return; 2-leaf half- glazed inner door with panelled reveals. 20th century tripartite timber sash to the left of the porch, 3 first floor 12-pane sashes, 1 attic storey 12-pane sash. The glazed lean-to giving access to the music room has small-pane windows with Gothick style arched glazing bars. The early 20th century music room has a hipped slate roof and a canted bay on the south end with sash windows matching those in the lean-to, stack at the north end. Tall flint rubble walls form the service courtyard and walled garden beyond to the rear.
Interior: A mixture of late 18th and early 20th century features include moulded plaster cornices, marble chimney-pieces, high quality joinery and an Edwardian stair. The cellars are said to represent the remains of an earlier house on the site.
Roof: The late 18th century roof structure survives, adapted where it adjoins the early 20th century additions. Date listed: 27th January 1989.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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