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Summary

Higher dodderidge, now called prowse- part of an ancient manor given to a norman after the conquest and later divided into three. Crf:ss80nw/6 (dodderidge).

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1272973: PROWSE FARMHOUSE
• SHINE: Traditional farm buildings at Prowse including Grade II listed barn dating to the 16th century

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS80NW/7
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 446856

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANOR HOUSE (XV to XVI - 1401 AD to 1600 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV242.

Vis=24/1/1969 (os) not outstanding. The house has been greatly renovated externally and retains only one early wooden window. Referred to as datheridge, which was the name of one of the eighteen tithings of the hundred of crediton (reichel).

Department of Environment, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV326240.

Plain exterior belies interest of interior. L-shaped plan. Early mid 16th century. Rubble, cob and thatched with brick and stone stacks. Exterior plastered. The screens passage has a richly panelled ceiling with carved bosses and a plank and muntin partition towards the hall. Front and rear doorways of wood with round heads, the latter retaining its original door. The east wing has a plain old cellar braced roof (doe).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV335.

Appears to be an ordinary thatched farmhouse, but internally it keeps much of its ancient plan. Central passage has a fine carved oak roof of about ad 1500, with a coat of arms, probably that of the builder (hoskins).

DODDERIDGE, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52010.

Higher dodderidge, now called prowse- part of an ancient manor given to a norman after the conquest and later divided into three. Crf:ss80nw/6 (dodderidge).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52022.

Dodderidge, s. E. /dcnq/3(1904-1905)169-172/a short sketch of the family and manor of dodderidge, co. Devon.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52023.

Osa=ss80nw3/photograph.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52024.

Hoskins, w. G. /new survey of england, devon/(1954)473.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52025.

Reichel, o. J. /tda/54(1922)153,154/the manor and hundred of crediton.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52026.

Benson, j. /dcnq/26(1954-1955)118/nicholas radford.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52027.

Alcock, n. W. /cruck construction(cba res rep 42)/(1981)111.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52028.

Doe/hhr:crediton rd/(-/9/1959)25.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52029.

Des=hulland, c. /list of historic houses/(1982)/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52030.

Gover, j. E. B. + mawer, a. + stenton, f. M. /the place-names of devon/(1931)412.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52032.

Doe/hhr:sandford/(20/5/1985)144-145.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52033.

Des=keystone/devon dendro project/(k397/2)/(1997)1/in bratton clovelly pf.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52034.

Des=keystone/devon dendro project/(k397/7)/(1997)4/in bratton clovelly pf.

Alcock, N. W., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV57461.

Jointed cruck recorded (alcock).

HULLAND, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV6435.

Full survey record deposited in westcountry studies library (hulland).

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One (Monograph). SDV1312.

Documented in 17th century. Walter prou is documented in 1330 (mawer et al).

Hulland, C., 1984, Devonshire Farmhouses Part IV: More Medieval Houses in North and Mid Devon, 27-37 (Article in Serial). SDV351736.

The name of Prowse was first mentioned in 1638 in the Feet of Fines in the form 'Prowseland'. It has remarkable roof structures dating from the 15th century. Features include jointed cruck couples and trusses with a true type C apex form dating from the early 15th century. Approximately 50 years after being built ,a new cross wing was added. Very fine stud and panel screen to the hall consisting of panels and studs moulded like 16th century ceiling beams. Outstanding ceiling with thick joists and bould mouldings. There are carved bosses with half bosses along the screen and lower room wall, for example, a tudor rose and coat of arms. Hall ceiling has fine panelling. Slight mutilation has taken place in the cellar area of the hall. The cellar floor is cobbled and probably under the 20th century cement in the hall the floor is cobbled too. Possibly an early 16th century solar existed in the cross passage area. The north-west wing is probably 16th century rather than 17th century. Bread oven still visible externally. A stair turret was added in the 17th century. The insertion of a fireplace and stack at the gable end of the lower room was probably an 18th century improvement to an unheated room.

Unknown, 1997, Interim Report on Devon Dendrochronology Projcet (Report - Interim). SDV230147.

Dendrochronological analysis of timbers from the main block of the farmhouse failed to date the trusses but an early or mid c15 date was suggested. The solar crosswing timbers suggested an early c16 date (keystone).

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

Manor house, now farmhouse. Probably late C15, improved and extended in C16. Plastered cob and rubble; volcanic stone stacks topped with C20 brick; wheat reed thatched roof, replaced with slate on rear service wing. Originally a 3-room-and- through-passage house facing south with service room at west (left) end. In C16 rear wing added at right angles to rear of service room and inner room rebuilt as a crosswing projecting to front and back. The front projection of cross wing collapsed circa 1920 and was rebuilt flush with main front and without gable end. End stack projecting from service room, large projecting lateral stack to rear of hall and end stack to service wing. Irregularly-spaced 6-window front of C20 casements and C20 doors at right end and to passage left of centre, latter in C20 round-headed arch. Rear elevation includes earlier features with late C15-early C16 round-headed oak doorframe to rear of through passage which still includes original studded oak plank door with plain strap hinges. Late C17-early C18 casement above door has flat-faced mullions, vertical iron glazing bars and rectangular panes of largely-original leaded glass. On inner side of service wing first floor window has mid-late C16 3-light oak frame with elaborately-moulded mullions and inner side of east wing includes mid-late C16 oak doorframe with segmental head. Good interior includes much late C15 and C16 carpentry of exceptional quality. Earliest structural elements are the 4 roof bays at west end. Late C15 trusses are possibly jointed crucks but evidence of jointing is plastered over. Early type of apex with saddle piece over ends of principals carrying a square-set ridge (Alcock's Type C). The trusses have cambered collars and arch bracing with carved bosses at the apex (remarkably similar to those at nearby Bremridge Farmhouse (q.v.). Trusses carry 2 sets of butt purlins and single sets of windbraces. This structure is completely smoke-blackened, indicating that the original house was divided by low partitions and heated by an open hearth fire. House was transformed in C16 by rebuild of inner room as crosswing, addition of service wing, insertion of chimney stacks and flooring of main block. Early-mid C16 crosswing has remains of 4-bay roof of side-pegged jointed cruck trusses with single sets of windbracing. Central truss was originally closed by large-framed partition. Front room (reduced in length after collapse of front circa 1920) is said to have been a chapel. Rear room is connected to main block by flat-arched oak doorway and its roof damaged by hipped end. Ground floor of crosswing also shows evidence of central framed crosswall. The chamfered beams each side have runout stops and rest on posts with jowled heads against hall. The through passage has a pitched stone floor and an elaborately-moulded mid-C16 oak plank-and-muntin screen to the hall, its frieze enriched with square floral motifs. The passage roof has an 8-panel intersecting beam ceiling with richly-moulded beams, sets of moulded joists at right angles to those in neighbouring panels and carved oak bosses including a Tudor rose and an heraldic achievement. Both screen and ceiling have survived unstained. Hall has a 15-panel intersecting beam ceiling with similar but not identical mouldings to the beams in the passage, unmoulded sets of joists at right angles to those in neighbouring panels (mostly plastered over) and no bosses. Hall is now subdivided and C16 fireplace has been rebuilt and reduced in size reusing the original Beer stone jambs. A cob crosswall divides the passage from the service end. Service room and rear wing have plain chamfered crossbeams. Service room fireplace is blocked. Stack to rear wing added probably in C18; it blocks attic gable window. Wing has mid-late C16 3-bay roof of oak A-frame trusses with cambered collars mortice-and-tenoned to principals. Eastern 2 bays of main block rebuilt in C17. Other early features probably remain hidden throughout the building. Prowse is a very interesting and important house. The manor is also known as Higher Dodderidge. It is recorded as the house of Walter Prou in 1330. (Place-names of Devon).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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