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Summary

East Worlington House a 16th century manor house which was subsequently the parsonage and remodelled in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1107333: EAST WORLINGTON HOUSE
• Listed Building (II*) 1107333: EAST WORLINGTON HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS71SE/50
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANOR HOUSE (Early Medieval to XXI - 1066 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

NMR, SS71SE6 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV91167.

East Worlington House. Manor house, subsequently the parsonage, now house. Early or mid 16th century remodelled mid or late 17th century when extended. Further extended and remodelled in the late 18th century. Original plan possibly a three-room unit and cross or through-passage (citing DoE).

Walls, S. + Green, T., 18/07/2012, East Worlington House, East Worlington, Results of a Desk Based Assessment, Historic Building and Archaeological Evaluation (Report - Evaluation). SDV350586.

The phasing of the house is covered in this report and in the 2006 report 'Results of an Archaeological Desk-Based Study and Building Survey'.

Results of the archaeological monitoring.
The remains of the collapse of the bake house and its remaining footings are not bonded with the walls of the 1600-1640 portion of the house. The western portion of the southern wall is clearly a later addition, while rubble from this later wall collapse (cira 1958) partially covered the well.

The culvert to the north-east of the house and the construction of the connecting passageway, also on the north side of the house both date to the early 19th century.

The removal of the floors revealed two cobbled surfaces in Room 17 and Room 10, the earlier of which may have dated to a period prior to the remodelling of the house in the 17th century; as the cobbles extended beneath a remnant of an early (pre-1680 at least) wall fragment.

Finds recovered date between 18th and 20th centuries. Please see report for full list, page 57.

Walls, S. + Green, T., 18/07/2012, East Worlington House, East Worlington, Results of a Desk Based Assessment, Historic Building and Archaeological Evaluation (Report - Evaluation). SDV350586.

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

Marked as 'Rectory' on 1880s-1890s 25 inch Ordnance Survey map.

Department of Environment, 1967, East Worlington (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337853.

East Worlington House. Manor house, subsequently the parsonage, now house. Circa early or mid 16th century, remodelled mid or late 17th century when extended. Further late 18th century extension and extensive remodelling. Rubble and cob, rendered and colourwashed; water-reed thatch hipped roofs, stacks with 19th century brick shafts.
Plan: the original plan is uncertain, probably three rooms and a through- or cross- passage. It was evidently a house of high status since the moulded arch-braced truss towards the right-hand end suggests that there was a first floor chamber at this end, possibly the lower end. Because there are some smoke-blackened rafters remaining in the roof it is likely that the hall was open to the roof originally. In circa early 17th century the hall would have been floored and a lateral stack inserted at the back. There also seems to have been a lateral stack at the back of the lower end. There may have been some remodelling in the late 17th century when the right-hand room under the first floor chamber was given a fine plaster ceiling. In the late 18th century the whole house was remodelled again and extended by a one room plan addition at either end creating a symmetrical front, the left-hand room was a library, and the right- hand room an outhouse, but its front treated as part of the main facade. At the same time two wings and a staircase bay were added at the rear.
Plan and description: two storeys, symmetrical front of 1:5:1 windows, 12-pane sash window on first floor, exposed sash boxes, two similar sash windows on ground floor and two three-light three quarter glazed French windows. Central door opening, 18th century panelled door. Hipped roof 18th century ranges at rear with casements; 18th century stair-bay with sash windows.
Interior: with lower room, now a study with Gothick features including fitted bookshelves; central hall with two lateral ovolo-moulded ceiling beams with two fillets, keel stops; the parlour with fine plaster ceiling in three panels, moulded cornices, central oval panel, late 17th century. Much 18th century work including dado-panelling, panelled doors, chimneypieces on first floor with cast-iron grates and a staircase; the latter with turned newels, stick balusters and ramped toadsback handrail, of dog-leg
type.
Roof: much rebuilt 18th century but with 16th century arch-braced truss over the lower end of the house, cyma and ogee moulded, no smoke-blackening, diagonal threaded ridge and threaded purlins renewed. Over the hall-passage partition a further 16th century truss with
morticed ridge, not moulded, some smoke-blackened rafters also remain. Remains of a wooden mullioned window may be seen from inside the roof under the eaves of the rear wall.
The manor house was mentioned in a terrier of 1727 stating: "It contains eight under-rooms viz; great parlour, hall, kitchen, little parlour, cellar, bottle house, and woodhouse. All ye walles are of mudd except ye great parlour which is of stone".
Source: Hodgson Rev H J, in Chulmleigh Deanery Parochial Magazine, March-June 1927. Other details: LBS 97424.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 350 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Southwest Archaeology, 2006, East Worlington House, East Worlington, Devon. Results of an Archaeological Desk-based Study and Building Survey (Report - Survey). SDV337854.

The core of the house comprises remnants of a late medieval building. The smoke blackened roof timbers and an upper chamber with decorated timber work suggest that this could have been a hall house of some standing. Documentary evidence indicates that by the later 16th century the house was serving as a rectory. Alterations during the 16th century included the insertion of a ceiling over the hall which led to the creation of two or three chambers on the first floor. The Glebe Terriers of 1679 and 1727 describe the house and outbuildings, with that of 1727 leaving no doubt as to the location of the parsonage house. Comparison between the two suggests some aggrandisement in the late 17th, early 18th century. Unfortunately, the 1839 Tithe Map does not record the house in any detail to allow comparison with the 1889 25 inch Ordnance Survey map. By this date the house comprised a long south facing range with a wing to the rear. The projecting western half of this rear range, the bakehouse, apparently collapsed in 1958 and was replaced by a herb garden. According to Rev. H.J. Hodgson, incumbent from 1918 to 1937, the house was in such a bad state of repair in the early 20th century that demolition was recommended. Neverthless the Diocese financed the repairs necessary to allow the house to survive. See report for full details.

Southwest Archaeology, 2006, East Worlington House, East Worlington, Devon. Results of an Archaeological Desk-based Study and Building Survey (Report - Survey). SDV337854.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5266 - ANIMAL REMAINS (Unknown date)
• FDV5265 - GLASS (Unknown date)
• FDV5264 - SHERD (XVII to XX - 1700 AD to 1999 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV4165 - East Worlington Farm
• EDV6072 - Results of a Desk-based Assessment, Historic Building Recording and Archaeological Evaluation (Ref: 120718)

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