| Summary: | Fowelscombe mansion, now in ruins. Formerly foghelerscombe, was the seat of the fogheler or foghel family. The name is first mentioned in 1344, and occurs later with variation of spelling until in 1661 one of the family sir edmund fowell was created a baronet. Built in 1537, it seems to have been deserted in the middle of the 19th century. The building consists of a tower to which in elizabethan times a hall and porch was added. It is owned by mr. Burdow fowelscombe, has no roof and though the external walls remain at their original height the internal walls have almost completely fallen down and the interior of the mansion is full of trees. Exterior walls are of stone and hardy plaster faced and ivy covered (os). Vis=-/-/1974 (ware, v. ). Old house apparently fell into ruin sometime in the 19th century, and the ivy clad remains do not show up much. Present farmhouse not very old (ware). Vis=fowelscombe house; a large ruined 16th century house in a remote situation. Roofless and completely gutted. Rubble and some ashlar wood transomed windows, and remains of others of stone. Two storeyed, with a porch. Some stone doorways with four centred heads. The clock went to hayford hall, buckfast- leigh. Bought by servington savery, 1838. Said to have been occupied by dr. Cornish of modbury later (champerknowne). Vis=building known as fowelscombe. The remains of which are situated at above ngr and shown on os 6" (1969) map. Ruins of large country house in formerly landscaped grounds 1537 for sir thomas fowel, much extended and remodelled in gothick style in circa late c18. Not much if any of the c16 house remains. Slate rubble, largely stuccoed, sw corner tower ashlar.2 or 3 storeys. The ruins are roofless and much of the walls have collapsed, but the walls on the sw elevation and the walls of the tower projections on the se front are fairly complete. The whole is much overgrown with ivy. The long se front has 4 projecting towers, 2 with corbelled and moulded battlements. The sw corner tower is partly ashlar faced and has chamfered pointed arch doorway on the right-hand return. The sw tower is said to incorporate some of the c16 house (pevsner). Stuccoed labels to window heads.2 or 3-storey porch on sw end elevation with stuccoed moulded 2-centred arch doorway with label. The house is built into the hillside and behind there are terraced former gardens. The house was reputedly abandoned in 1919 (doe). |
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