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Summary

Was built in the 1830s as the Plymouth Inn by John Ballamy, who came from the South Molton Inn, and it remained in the Ballamy family for over 70 years. Several of the landlords were wheelwrights, a trade often associated with inn-keeping, and hooks for tethering horses are clearly visible at the back. Closed as an inn in 2003.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• INN (Constructed, XIX - 1830 AD to 1839 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Depicted on the late 19th century historic map as the Plymouth Inn.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Building is shown on the map but not labelled as the Plymouth Inn.

Quick, T., 1992, Dartmoor Inns, 82-3 (Monograph). SDV359976.

17th century double fronted building with bow windows either side of the main door. Records of this inn first appeared in 1835. Was a bustling coaching inn in the early days, being sited on the Exeter-Moretonhampstead-Plymouth road. Stables were at the rear and were accessed through a covered alleyway, now concealed by large double doors. The old horse tethering hooks can be seen along the exterior wall of the building. The inn consists of two adjoining bar areas separated by an archway in an exposed granite wall. Along the alleyway is a door that now leads into the public bar but used to give access to the 'bottle and jug' at the far end of a narrow passage. Unlike many of the public houses in Moretonhampstead, the Plymouth appears to have avoided the many disastrous fires that swept through the town in the 19th century.

Mortimer, I., 2012, Gazetteer of Moretonhampstead Parish (Website). SDV357796.

16 COURT STREET (THE PLYMOUTH INN). The last inn to be built in Moretonhampstead. It was established in the early 1830s by John Ballamy, who came from the South Molton Inn, and it remained in the Ballamy family for over 70 years. Several of the landlords were wheelwrights, a trade often associated with inn-keeping, and hooks for tethering horses are clearly visible at the back. The inn was ideally situated to get traffic coming over the moor from Tavistock and Plymouth. This inn is unique in having had four different signs over the years. It also had the large safe which was used to keep the money made by drovers who had done good business at Moretonhampstead markets. It closed as a public house in 2003.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Building is depicted on the modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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