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Summary

A Palladian mansion of 1772, remodelled in neo-classical style in 1840, altered in 1862 and gutted by fire in 1926. Subsequently re-built without the top floor. Now a school.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1195173: GRAMERCY HALL SCHOOL, LUPTON HOUSE
• Registered Park or Garden (II*) 1000696: LUPTON PARK

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX95NW/36
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 383550
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX95NW23
• Torbay HER: MTO15850

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANSION HOUSE (Built, XVIII to Early 20th Century - 1772 AD to 1926 AD)

Full description

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 351 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Lupton House was the seat of the Bullers for a time. It is now a school. It was rebuilt about 1770 and reconstructed in recent times following a fire.

Department of Environment, 1975, Borough of Torbay, 9 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV362418.

Lupton House is a substantial house built by Charles Haynes about 1772 and set in Lupton Park. It was largely gutted by fire in 1926 and restored without the top storey (a late 19th century addition). The house is of two storeys, stucco faced with a plinth string course and sill course, a cornice and a panelled parapet. It is now a school.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX95NW23 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV317671.

A substantial house built c.1772. Badly damaged by fire in 1926 and restored without the top storey, which was a 19th century addition. Now a school (DoE 1975).

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 833 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Described as an 'elegant Palladian mansion' which was built for Charles Hayne in 1772. It was remodelled in Neo-classical style c.1840 for Sir J. B. Yarde Buller. The house was badly damaged by fire in 1926 and rebuilt but without the top floor. It is now a school. Surviving interiors include the entrance hall and the library dating from the 1840 alterations and also a room with a late 18th century ceiling. See entry for further details.

Swete, J. (ed. Gray T. + Rowe, M.), 1997, Travels in Georgian Devon. The Illustrated Journals of the Reverend John Swete. Vol. 1, 190-191 (Monograph). SDV341166.

Revd Swete illustrated Lupton House during his travels in 1793. He describes the house as 'a structure of considerable elegance…of three stories…the southern front, by means of little projections, airy windows, balustrades, and other harmonizing decorations, was peculiarly light and handsome'. (Other details: DRO 564M/F4/140)

Armitage, P. L., 2004, The Life and times of Lord Churston (Article in Serial). SDV365990.

Archaeological investigations by the Brixham Heritage Museum’s Field Research Team together with staff and pupils of Gramercy Hall have found evidence for the fire that engulfed Lupton House, the country mansion of Lord Churston, on the night of 8th-9th March 1926.
Trenches dug alongside the carpark and access road have revealed an extensive grey ashy deposit containing burnt pieces of furniture, heat-shattered pot sherds, charred wooden beams and fire damaged household and personal items. These included miltary medals, S-shaped clasps worn by freemasons on their ceremonial aprons, a collar jewel of the Rose-Croix masonry, a slate paperweight, sherds of Chinese, Japanese and European ceramics; Lord Churston was a collector of such items, and English heirloom pieces.
The fire is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault or by a beam near a fireplace catching fire. Contemporary newspaper accounts describe the property as being left as a ‘mere shell’ and a ‘charred ruin’ and comment on the great loss of valuable items.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

Marked as Lupton House.

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England, 1195173 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

Gramercy Hall School, Lupton House. Formerly known as Lupton Hotel. Country house (formerly known as Lupton House), now school. Circa 1772, remodelled c. 1843 by George Wightwick. Restored without the top storey after a fire in 1926. Solid rendered walls. Hipped slated roofs. Rendered chimneys with prominent top cornices.
See listing description for full details.
Date first listed: 18th October 1949. Date of most recent amendment: 18th October 1993

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV9081 - Lupton House Archaeological Project

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