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Summary

St. Margarets Chapel was licenced in 1381. It was converted to secular use in 1724. It was demolished in 1961 at which time fragments of 14th century window tracery were found together with worked stone. Excavation on the site in 1982 prior to development noted three phases of construction. Photographic evidence suggests that a first floor was inserted after its conversion to secular use.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 448684
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08SW/36
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SY08SW10

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHAPEL (XIV to Late 20th Century - 1301 AD to 2000 AD)

Full description

Polwhele, R., 1793-1806, The History of Devonshire, 214 (Monograph). SDV21030.

In answer to the Bishop of Exeter's queries in 1748 we are told that the chapel was converted into a house, having a west door and an east window in gothic style.

Ordnance Survey, 1855-1895, First Edition 1:500 Town Map (Cartographic). SDV338879.

St. Margaret's Church (Site of) shown on the 1855-1895 Town Map on the north-east corner of the junction of Chapel Street and Margaret Street.

Ordnance Survey, 1855-1895, First Edition 1:500 Town Map (Cartographic). SDV338879.

St. Margaret's Church (Site of) shown on the 1855-1895 Town Map on the north-east corner of the junction of Chapel Street and Margaret Street.

Reichel, O. J., 1920-1921, Exmouth - Sir John Colleton, 261 (Article in Serial). SDV349608.

The building was a butcher's shop in about 1920. there is evidence that sometime before or about 1722 it had been converted to secular purposes.

Barrow, R., 1924-1925, Chapel of St. Anne, Exmouth, 165 (Article in Serial). SDV349615.

The chapel was licensed by Bishop Brantyngham in 1381. It is supposed to have stood on the corner of Chapel Street and Margaret Street and to have been converted to a dwelling in 1724.

Everitt, A. W., 1962, St. Margarets Chapel (Ground Photograph). SDV349679.

Photographs taken at the time of the building's demolition show high grade moulded stone architectural fragments.

Bush, R. J. E., 1966, The Origins of Exmouth, 73 (Article in Serial). SDV349680.

There was a chapel in Exmouth as early as 1329. By 1414 Exmouth had five chapels.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 110 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

Several chapels are recorded in medieval documents for Exmouth but only two, Holy Trinity Chapel and St. Margaret's Chapel can be closely located. St. Margaret's Chapel which is recorded in 1381 stood in St. Margaret's Street. The parish boundary ran along this street and the chapel stood on the Withycombe Raleigh side. The date of the chapel's demolition is unknown.

Bush, R. J. E., 1978, The Book of Exmouth, 95-6,99 (Monograph). SDV349607.

the chapel was in existence before 1375. It was converted to a house in 1724 with the piscina fixed in the west wall. When the building was demolished in 1961 fragments of 14th century window tracery and worked stone were found.

Weddell, P. J. + Henderson, C. G., 1985, Excavations in Exmouth 1982-4, 41 (Article in Serial). SDV354905.

Weddell, P. J. + Henderson, C. G., 1985, Excavations in Exmouth 1982-4. Preliminary Report (Report - Interim). SDV349678.

Sleeman, W. J., 1986, Old Exmouth (Monograph). SDV349677.

Weddell, P. J., 1986, The Excavation of Medieval and Later Houses and St. Margaret's Chapel, Exmouth 1982-1984, 107-141 (Article in Serial). SDV109145.

In 1744 the building was occupied by a tailor, George Wood. Photographs of the present century, up to 1950, show 18th-19th century sash windows on the first floor level, indicating the insertion of an upper storey after conversion to secular use. Dormer windows indicate the addition of a further storey. The building was rendered, thus obliterating the stonework and positions of earlier doors and windows. A record of the ground plan was made in 1961. This shows the original door to have been on the south side, not the west as stated by Polwhele. A small alcove with a 'curved stone headpiece' was noted in the north corner of the west wall, and a fireplace was present at the west end of the north wall. In 1806 the building consisted of a front shop, 2 parlours with bedrooms over a cottage, slaughterhouse, gig house, wash house, linhay, cattle shed and outbuildings.

Pink, F., 2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV357736.

Casimiro, T. M., 2015, Portuguese Faience in South-West England, 346 (Article in Monograph). SDV365403.

Portuguese faience found during Exeter Archaeology excavation, 1982-84.

Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology, 21/02/1977, Worksheet (Worksheet). SDV350200.

Weddell, P. J., 31/03/1982, Interim Report on the Excavation of St. Margaret's Chapel, Exmouth (Report - Interim). SDV349676.

The site was excavated in 1982, prior to development for shops. Two long ditches underlay it, the larger, earlier one running east-west, and the other north-south (parallel to Chapel St). Three phases of construction of the chapel were observed, but floor levels were not preserved. There was much post-medieval activity on site. Normandy medieval floor tiles survive in rubble. Possible Roman box-tiles were also found.

Delderfield, E. R., Unknown, Exmouth Milestones, 191 (Monograph). SDV349642.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Unknown, SY08SW10 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV349675.

The oldest building known in Exmouth, granted a licence in 1421. The site is now occupied by Webber's shop in front of which is a holy water stoup of St. Margarets (citing Delderfield).

Sources / Further Reading

SDV109145	Article in Serial: Weddell, P. J.. 1986. The Excavation of Medieval and Later Houses and St. Margaret's Chapel, Exmouth 1982-1984. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 44. Paperback Volume. 107-141.
SDV21030	Monograph: Polwhele, R.. 1793-1806. The History of Devonshire. The History of Devonshire. Unknown. 214.
SDV338879	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1855-1895. First Edition 1:500 Town Map. First Edition 1:500 Town Map. Map (Digital).
SDV341346	Report - Survey: Timms, S. C.. 1976. The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft. Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology Report. A4 Unbound + Digital. 110.
SDV349607	Monograph: Bush, R. J. E.. 1978. The Book of Exmouth. Unknown. 95-6,99.
SDV349608	Article in Serial: Reichel, O. J.. 1920-1921. Exmouth - Sir John Colleton. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. 11.1. Unknown. 261.
SDV349615	Article in Serial: Barrow, R.. 1924-1925. Chapel of St. Anne, Exmouth. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. 13. Unknown. 165.
SDV349642	Monograph: Delderfield, E. R.. Unknown. Exmouth Milestones. Unknown. 191.
SDV349675	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. Unknown. SY08SW10. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV349676	Report - Interim: Weddell, P. J.. 31/03/1982. Interim Report on the Excavation of St. Margaret's Chapel, Exmouth. Exeter Archaeology Report. A4 Single Sheet + Digital.
SDV349677	Monograph: Sleeman, W. J.. 1986. Old Exmouth. Unknown.
SDV349678	Report - Interim: Weddell, P. J. + Henderson, C. G.. 1985. Excavations in Exmouth 1982-4. Preliminary Report. Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit Report. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV349679	Ground Photograph: Everitt, A. W.. 1962. St. Margarets Chapel. Photograph (Paper).
SDV349680	Article in Serial: Bush, R. J. E.. 1966. The Origins of Exmouth. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 98. Paperback Volume. 73.
SDV350200	Worksheet: Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology. 21/02/1977. Worksheet. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV354905	Article in Serial: Weddell, P. J. + Henderson, C. G.. 1985. Excavations in Exmouth 1982-4. Exeter Archaeology 1984/5. A4 Stapled + Digital. 41.
SDV357736	Interpretation: Pink, F.. 2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment. AC Archaeology Report. ACD618/4/3. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV365403	Article in Monograph: Casimiro, T. M.. 2015. Portuguese Faience in South-West England. West Country Households 1500-1700. Hardback Volume. 346.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4728 - Assessment of Proposed Exmouth Strand Enhancement Scheme

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