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Summary

Row of four late 17th or early 18th century cottages with tenter loft, for drying cloth, on the upper storey. Painted local grey limestone rubble with weatherboarded loft. Material evidence of the wool industry of any period is surprisingly rare in Devon, given its economic importance in the 17th and 18th centuries. This is a rare example, on a national scale, of a combination type of building, representative of the pre-factory or outwork phase of the industry, with cottages and tentering loft.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1292867: 26-29, CHAPEL STREET

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX76NW47
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1305500
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76NW/82
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 392228

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CLOTH DRY HOUSE (XVII to XVIII - 1650 AD to 1750 AD)
• WORKERS COTTAGE (Constructed, XVII to XVIII - 1650 AD to 1750 AD)
• TERRACED HOUSE (Built, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1866 AD (Between))
• DRYING LOFT (XIX - 1833 AD (Between) to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, 1983, Buckfastleigh, 6 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337043.

Nos 26 to 29, Chapel Street. Circa 17th / 18th century cottage range heightened in circa 19th century when second storey was built and used for sheepskin curing. Ground and first floors painted stone rubble. Slate half-hipped roof over louvre boarded second floor. Three storey 8 window range. First floor four 3-light casements. Ground floor 8 small sash windows and wide doorways with moulded frames and glazed doors. The second storey was used for sheepskin cleaning and curing and has louvre boarded front for ventilation. Two large stone rubble chimney stacks at rear. Later rear lean-to outskirt.

Timms, S., 1984, Comment regarding 26-29 Chapel Street, Buckfastleigh (Personal Comment). SDV294846.

The development of this interesting range is unclear. It may have originated as combined accommodation/workshops for millworkers.

Department of Environment, 1985, Images of listed buildings in Buckfastleigh, 15/07/1985 (Photograph). SDV359974.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 1997, Buckfastleigh Conservation Area Partnership Scheme (CAPS) photographs (Photograph). SDV365552.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Building depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 06/01/2017 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

BUCKFASTLEIGH
SX7366 CHAPEL STREET 1011-1/6/49 (South side) 06/01/83 Nos.26-29 (Consecutive)
GV II*
Row of 4 cottages with tenter loft, for drying cloth, on the upper storey. Late C17 or early C18. Painted local grey limestone rubble, weatherboarded loft, right end of loft rendered, left end brick; slate roof half-hipped at ends, stacks with rendered and stone rubble shafts.
Plan: single-depth cottages with 2 rear lateral stacks. Single-storey rear outshuts associated with rear yard walls. The tenter loft, a very unusual survival in Devon, was used for drying cloth slowly, stretched on tenterhooks, with louvres that could be adjusted according to the weather.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys plus tenter loft. Asymmetrical front with 4 first- and 8 ground-floor windows. The 3 right-hand cottages (Nos 26-28) are double-fronted. Each has a central ovolo-moulded doorframe. Nos 26 & 27 have half-glazed C20 timber front doors, the front door to No.28 is partly covered but may be a 2-panel early C18 door; bootscraper to No.28. Ground-floor windows are late C19 or early C20 four-pane timber horned sashes. Single centre first-floor window to each cottage is a 3-light casement, 2 panes per light, with timber lintels. No.29 has similar details but the doorway, to the left, is slightly wider with a door of 3 over 3 vertical panels; bootscraper. There are 2 ground-floor windows alongside to the right, similar first-floor window. The tenter loft is divided into bays by vertical planks with intermediate, narrow bead-moulded studs. Double loft doorway at right end of front. Angled fascia board below eaves; cast-iron rainwater goods.
INTERIOR: No.26 inspected. Modernised. Tenter loft has tie beam truss with king post tenoned in and diagonal struts projecting from king post. Modern plaster ceiling obscures upper part of roof. Several tenterhooks, like small cup hooks, survive. Wall-framing has main studs pegged in and slender diagonal braces.
Historical note: tenter lofts survive in Exeter, on the Quay (converted to housing) and in Ashburton. Material evidence of the wool industry of any period is surprisingly rare in Devon, given its economic importance in the C17 and C18. A rare example, on a national scale, of a combination type of building, representative of the pre-factory or outwork phase of the industry, with cottages and tentering loft.
Listing NGR: SX7379766127.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 29/03/2022 (Website). SDV364039.

South West Textile Mills project number: 416.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8699 - RCHME South West Textile Mills Project (Ref: RCH01/063)
• EDV8934 - Condition survey of Buckfastleigh Conservation Area

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