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Summary

The farmhouse probably has its origins as the priors lodging of the medieval priory. It was much altered following the dissolution.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009304: Frithelstock Priory
• Listed Building (II) 1105178: CLOISTER HALL FARMHOUSE AND ATTACHED WALL, GATEWAY AND OUTBUILDING

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS41NE/1/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS41NE9.2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Built, XIV to XVII - 1301 AD (Between) to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1933, Frithelstock Priory and Parish Church, 24 (Article in Serial). SDV18700.

The farmhouse lies to the north-west of the church. It has many features of the 16th/17th century but no dateable medieval feature. However, some of main walls are probably of that period. If so, the Prior's House was a considerable structure. The building represents the replanning of prior's lodging to post suppression needs. Both the priors house and its 16th century successor faced west.

Pearce Chope, R., 1933, History of Frithelstock Priory, 19 (Article in Serial). SDV18699.

State papers of Henry VIII record that, following the dissolution in 1536, the house of the priory had been pulled down with nothing left standing except the house of the farmer.

Department of Environment, 1959, Torrington RD, 7 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV17879.

Plain house. C19 porch and dripmoulds.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SS41NE9, SS41NE9.2 Photograph (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV18672.

Site visit 14th December 1953. Stone building with west and north walls plaster faced. Windows modern but have Elizabethan-style dripstones. South wall has probably modern porch with datestone 1228, and interior Elizabethan doorway.
Site visit 27th November 1978. The only external evidence of a 16th century date are hoodmoulds and a Tudor doorway.

Timms, S., 1983, Cloister Hall Farmhouse (Site Visit). SDV17880.

Site visit 12th March 1983. Exterior seen from priory. Roof is being reslated and other repairs may be in progress. ?new windows.

Weddell, P. J., 1986, Frithelstock Priory (Report - Survey). SDV18682.

The north-west corner of this farmhouse is certainly the oldest and may contain medieval fabric. It was a narrow range about 7m wide with a tall gable end. There is a partition of 17th century date in the upper floor and the building was modified to create a house of typical devon farmhouse plan at that time or earlier. The cross-passage still survives but the area to the south of it had probably been altered. The nature of the eastern part is uncertain. Photos of partition above and north external views. Downstairs room to north contains a reused screen and window from a disused church (probably in Cornwall).

Griffith, F., 1988, Devon's Past. An Aerial View, 80 (Monograph). SDV64198.

Department of Environment, 1988, Frithelstock, 81 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV17963.

Cloister Hall Farmhouse and attached wall, gateway and outbuilding. Prior's house, now farmhouse. C14 origins; early C17 alterations; late C17 extension; front wing refronted and remodelled in late C19. Rendered coursed slatestone rubble, except front wall rebuilt late C19 in squared and coursed slatestone. Gabled slate roofs; C19 stone ridge and end stacks to front range.
Plan form and development: front range may be former C15 hall range, because it retains thick walls and traces of a blocked former window in the right gable; the adjoining through-passage and former service room lie in a block attached to the rear; to the right of this is a late C17 kitchen.
Front elevation of 2-storey, 3-window range with projecting gable end to left. Late C19 porch has pointed arched doorway flanked by lancets; the late C19 arch-braced roof inside has a C15 moulded cornice; late C15 granite doorway has label mould over moulded arched architrave with sunk spandrels. Late C19 label moulds over late C19 two-light casements with glazing bars. Rear wing: early C17 studded and panelled door to left side wall with original iron clasping ring, set in ovolo-moulded frame; late c19 stained glass window to left brought here in 1970s. Early/mid C19 dairy outshut to rear with plank door.
Interior: front range remodelled in late C19, has fireplace dated 1680 with ionic columns and richly-carved decoration in ground floor room to left, which was brought here in 1970s. Rear wing: through passage has chamfered ogee-stopped joists and C17 studded door set in C16 convex-moulded architrave to right; tall room to rear of through passage occupies former ground and first floor levels and has reset C17 plank and stud partition to right; first floor level has chamfered beams and C17 plank door to front range of house; 2 jointed crucks with trenched purlins, cambered lap-jointed collar to one truss and straight principal rafters. Late C17 block added to right side of the rear wing has former kitchen on ground floor with chamfered beam and stop-chamfered bressumer over open fireplace.
Subsidiary features: C17 L-shaped wall of coursed slatestone rubble with some cob, is attached to rear left and has a C17 gateway with welsh slate roof and C17 studded and panelled door set in ovolo-moulded architrave. Extending at right angles from the rear right corner of the house is an outbuilding which was probably the former dorter range of frithelstock priory and which encloses the n side of the former cloister. Built of uncoursed limestone rubble with cob beneath eaves; yellow brick dressings to rear wall of late C19 stable added to right; hipped welsh slate roof.
History: the prior's hall is probably C14 in origin for a bishop's visitation of 1400 mentioned the prior's room and great hall, an earlier record have admonished the prior for retreating from the communal life.

Cramp, C., 2015, North Devon Relief-Decorated Ceramics in the Household, 210 (Article in Monograph). SDV365391.

Among the tiles from Frithelstock Priory, most of which are medieval two-colour tiles, is a single fragment of relief design K43. It is unlikely that 17th century tiles would have come from the dissolved priory and more probable that they were used in the substantial post-Dissolution house of the site, Cloister Hall Farmhouse.

Ordnance Survey, 2025, Mastermap 2025 (Cartographic). SDV366286.

Historic England, 2025, National Heritage List for England 2025, 1105178 (National Heritage List for England). SDV366287.

Cloister Hall Farmhouse and attached wall, gateway and outbuilding. Prior's house, now farmhouse. C14 origins; early C17 alterations; late C17 extension; front wing refronted and remodelled in late C19. Rendered coursed slatestone rubble, except front wall rebuilt late C19 in squared and coursed slatestone. Gabled slate roofs; C19 stone ridge and end stacks to front range.
Plan form and development: front range may be former C15 hall range, because it retains thick walls and traces of a blocked former window in the right gable; the adjoining through-passage and former service room lie in a block attached to the rear; to the right of this is a late C17 kitchen. Front elevation of two-storey, three-window range with projecting gable end to left. Late C19 porch has pointed-arched doorway flanked by lancets: the late C19 arch-braced roof inside has a C15 moulded cornice; late C15 granite doorway has label mould over moulded-arched architrave with sunk spandrels. Late C19 label moulds over late C19 two-light casements with glazing bars.
Rear wing: early C17 studded and panelled door to left side wall with original iron clasping ring, set in ovolo-moulded frame; late C19 stained glass window to left brought here in 1970s. Early/mid C19 dairy outshut to rear, with plank door.
Interior: front range, remodelled in late C19, has fireplace dated 1680, with lonic columns and richly-carved decoration, in ground-floor room to left, which was brought here in 1970s.
Rear wing: through-passage has chamfered ogee-stopped joists and C17 studded door set in C16 convex-moulded architrave to right; tall room to rear of through passage occupies former ground and first-floor levels and has reset C17 plank and stud partition to right; first-floor level has chamfered beams and C17 plank door set in chamfered ogee-stopped frame to front range of house; two jointed crucks with trenched purlins, cambered lap-jointed collar to one truss, and straight principal rafters. Late C17 block added to right side of the rear wing has former kitchen on ground floor, with chamfered beam and stop-chamfered bressummer over open fireplace.
Subsidiary features: C17 L-shaped wall, of coursed slatestone rubble with some cob, is attached to rear left and has a C17 gateway with Welsh slate roof and C17 studded and panelled door set in ovolo-moulded architrave. Extending at right angles from the rear right corner of the house is an outbuilding which was probably the former dorter range of Frithelstock Priory (q.v) and which encloses the north side of the former cloister. Built of uncoursed limestone rubble with cob beneath eaves; yellow brick dressings to rear wall of late C19 stable added to right; hipped Welsh slate roof.
History; the Prior's Hall is probably C14 in origin for a Bishop's Visitation of 1400 mentioned the Prior for retreating from the communal life.
Date first listed: 19th October 1988

Devon County Council, Unknown, Film 684. Frithelstock, 30,32,33,34,36 (Ground Photograph). SDV357581.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV2416 - Devon Religious Houses Survey

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