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Summary

One of a row of merchants' houses dating from the first half of the 17th century, now a shop and cafeteria with accommodation above. Built end onto the street, with a jettied front over the Butterwalk, and originally a side passage along the east side.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1197518: THE BUTTERWALK

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85SE/24
• Old Listed Building Ref (I): 387232

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (XVII - 1601 AD to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

Newman,, 1869, On the Antiquity of Dartmouth, 130-134 (Article in Serial). SDV339563.

Erected by Hayman in 1635 as one of 5 houses forming a sort of piazza, the front supported by a row of pillars with signs of the zodiac carved on the tops. Formerly intercommunicating doors between houses, said to have been built by the designer for his 5 daughters. His arms on one of the houses, interiors full of quaint carvings and curious ceilings.

Hine, J., 1877, A Plea for the Picturesque in Devon Towns, 161-162 (Article in Serial). SDV339564.

Russell, P., 1950, The New Quay at Dartmouth (1584-1640), 285-286 (Article in Serial). SDV339562.

Number 10, Duke Street. The Butterwalk. Mark Hawkins built two houses in 1635, one for himself and the other he let to John Barnes. The initials MH are carved on a frieze. Number 10, with its lofty gable, is the larger of the two, and has an interesting stairway leading to the first floor. The front room has a projecting wooden window, of ten leaded lights, a plaster ceiling and a plastered over-mantel depicting the scene at Pentecost (Acts 2, 1-4). Room at rear has good stone fireplace. Original door. Russell dismisses the story that the houses were built by a member of the Hayman family as local legend.

Devon County Council, 1975, Dartmouth - Walk about in the Conservation Area & Exploring Dartmouth and Kingswear, 37 (Article in Monograph). SDV352452.

Good plasterwork on the first floor including an overmanetl of the Day of Pentecost.

Lidstone, W. E., 1982, Flavel Memorial United Reformed Church 1662-1980 (Pamphlet). SDV172558.

Devon County Council, 1983, 606/30 (Ground Photograph). SDV99932.

Impett, R. M., 1989, Dartmouth (Ground Photograph). SDV339567.

Department of National Heritage, 1994, Dartmouth, 100-1 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV157498.

One of a row of merchants' houses, now a shop and cafeteria with accommodation above. The row is dated 1635 and 1640 (this house includes the date 1635 and the initials of Mark Hawkings), various minor later alterations and a major renovation programme in the 1950s after severe bomb blast damage in 1943. Mixed construction; side and back walls of stone rubble, front is an ornate display of timber-framing with plastered upper floor, and the walk carried on granite piers; front and back stone rubble stacks with 20th century rendered brick chimney shafts in left party wall shared with Number 12; slate roof.
Plan: Built end onto the street, the ground plan is one room wide and 2 rooms deep with remains of a side passage along right (east) side. 19th century winder stair rises just back from the front door; second floor shows position of original newel stair further back, it would have been onto a first-floor landing halfway through the first-floor level where there is a small unlit and unheated room between the front and back rooms. A blocked doorway in the right party wall suggests that the upper floors of No.8 (qv) were originally part of this house.
Exterior: 3 storeys and attic; one-window first-floor and 2-window second-floor range. Ornate jettied timber-framed front forming part of a unified front comprising Nos 6-12 (even) (qv), the houses of the Dartmouth Butterwalk. The first floor oversails the Butterwalk and is supported on a carved bressummer on an arcade of granite piers with moulded capitals under blocks carved with geometric and heraldic motifs, one of them dated 1635. Recessed shop front is mid 20th century but the doorway to right is original, large frame with multiple mouldings and ornate carved stops, and contains contemporary panelled door on wrought-iron strap hinges. First floor of exposed timber-framing with central original oriel window, 8 forward lights with moulded mullions and sill, carved corner posts, and supporting brackets carved as animals, internal turned centre-post with carved capital, iron casements and rectangular panes of leaded glass. Largely-original moulded small-panel framing each side, the faces of the original timbers carved with strapwork patterns and guilloche. End posts (on party walls) are carved as pairs of Ionic pilasters on pedestals under carved brackets supporting the second-floor jetty, one as Samson and the Lion. Upper jetty has carved fascia including the initials of Mark Hawkings. Plastered above. Second floor has 2 oriels, smaller versions of the first-floor one, projecting from a continuous row of mullioned windows (now blocked). Attic contains a pair of 20th century twelve-pane sashes under a projecting gable supported on a pair of large carved timber brackets carved as emblems of plenty. Rear elevation is painted stone rubble to slate-hung gable and contains mid 20th century twelve-pane sash windows with glazing bars. Rear left return wall is a plastered timber-frame and contains some original 17th century oak mullioned windows.
Interior: Exceptionally high quality and well-preserved. Original features include a section of the pine passage screen, panelled partitions on first floor (some possibly late 17th century), and the first-floor front parlour - panelling with carved frieze including the date 1634 flanked by pegasi; granite fireplace with carved lintel, imported Dutch brick cheeks and back, good plasterwork overmantel featuring the Pentecost; ornamental plaster ceiling, a single rib design with bosses and angle sprays (hollow rib pattern ceiling with cherubs to the middle room). Original newel stair survives from second floor to the attic rooms. Plain carpentry exposed on the upper floors. Other 17th century features are probably hidden. Roof not inspected.
History: This house forms a unit of the Dartmouth Butterwalk, which is one of the finest rows of Merchants' Houses dating from the first half of the 17th century in England. The Butterwalk was built on reclaimed land as part of the same scheme which created the New Quay. The western half was leased to William Gurney in 1628, the eastern half was leased to Mark Hawkings. Both began to build, but in 1635 William Gurney sold his part to Hawkings who completed the row by 1640 at a cost of nearly £2500. If the initials are anything to go by, he converted this house for his own use. The row originally continued one house further east; the Butterwalk arcade was of 13 granite piers and is now of 11. Backed onto river when originally built.

Stephenson, G., 2001, Archaeological Desk Top Study: Flavel Centre, Dartmouth (Report - Assessment). SDV319967.

The Butterwalk was badly damaged in an air raid, in 1943.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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