See important
guidance on the use of this record.
If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.
HER Number: | MDV7081 |
---|
Name: | Church House Inn, Churchstow |
---|
Summary
Former church house, now an inn, which was originally built in the first half of the 16th century.
Location
Grid Reference: | SX 711 458 |
---|
Map Sheet: | SX74NW |
---|
Admin Area | Devon |
---|
Civil Parish | Churchstow |
---|
District | South Hams |
---|
Ecclesiastical Parish | CHURCHSTOW |
---|
Protected Status: none recorded
Other References/Statuses
- Old DCC SMR Ref: SX74NW/8
- Old Listed Building Ref (II)
- Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX74NW18
Monument Type(s) and Dates
- CHURCH HOUSE (Built, XVI - 1501 AD (Between) to 1600 AD (Between)) + Sci.Date
- INN (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
Full description
Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 1904-1906 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV63521.
'Church House Inn' marked.
Map object based on this source.
Sheldon, L., 1937, Devon Inns, 386 (Article in Serial). SDV10197.
The ground floor has been divided into three. Massive beams of ceiling visible. Fireplace filled in.
Copeland, G. W., 1960, Devonshire Church-Houses: Part 1, 125, Fig. 32 (Article in Serial). SDV298102.
Church House; walls of well cut jointed ashlar. At the west end of the slated roof is a very prominent chimney stack. The windows are wooden framed replacements, but in the centre of the upper floor is a round headed window with incipient wooden tracery over a good example of the s. Hams type of round headed doorway, slightly chamfered and with long voussoirs. The front retains its chamfered plinth and the remains of a similarly moulded stone wall plate. The rooms have a massive oak ceiling beam, and in the bar is a huge fireplace with a segmental head of red stone. This house is on the main road and opposite the south side of the church. Now an inn.
Department of Environment, 1960, Kingsbridge RD, 11-12 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV323346.
Sixteenth century structure.
Coutin, K., 1973, Farmhouses in South Devon, 51, 74-79 (Article in Serial). SDV156818.
Recorded by Malborough and Salcombe Local History Group.
Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX74NW18 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV156815.
The church house is a 16th century bulding of local stone under a slate roof. The windows are replacements but in the cntre of the upper floor is a round-headed window with incipient wooden tracery over a good example of the South Hams type of round-headed doorway. The buiding is now an inn (citing Copeland 1960 and DoE 1960).
Alcock, N. W., 1981, Cruck Construction: An Introduction and Catalogue (Report - non-specific). SDV342504.
Jointed cruck recorded (citing Coutin).
Department of Environment, 1989, Churchstow, 45 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV336496.
Inn. C16 or c17, with C19 fenestration and C20 additions and modifications. Slate-stone, some slate-hanging, rendered or brick stacks, slate roofs. The present inn encompasses the original church ale house with cross-passage, 3-room plan; to the left were 4 cottages, now incorporated. Front is two storeys, no cellar located; 1:1:4 windows, mainly 2-light casements, some with glazing bars, but central light to arch in single stone over leaded y-tracery casement set in deeper opening, formerly a door approached by external stone stair, for which some evidence in walling. Below this plank and nail-head door in voussoired arch to hood on brackets. Lean-to at right has two small sashes, and another on return wall, under plain gable with large square stack, rendered to upper part; coped gable, but plain at left end, at change in roof level. Coved cornice to main block. Small lateral stack, raised in brick between bays 1 and 2 of main block. Cottages left, included 2 close-set casements, one of which in former doorway; left return includes 2 former doors one now window. Large square stack to hipped end, this part of roof lower than to main block. The back has at left end a section of slate-hanging with deep 2-light glazing-bar casement, above door. To right, roof sweeps down to 2 casements at eaves, large stack on line of original back wall and a large C20 extension, not of special interest. Right end has two 2-light casements at each level; upper level rendered, over thin bedded slate stone. Interior: ground floor has 7 main transverse chamfered beams, rough finished and without stops. At the right hand end a large full width fireplace with flat 4-centred arch on stone jambs, the right end with a cut stone corbel on 2 courses of freestone. Back has bread oven or coving chamber with cast iron door. The lateral fireplace, left of entry, has heavy granite lintel. The ground plan much modified in C20, now one large open space. Wood spiral stair at right end, by large fireplace. Corridor at first floor, back has remains of 2-light arched c16 window, now blocked. Roof to main block is 6-bay a-frame pegged, 2 very flat purlins; outer roof raised above this.
Waterhouse, R. E., 1991, The Church Houses of South Devon: an archaeological survey, 55-64, 87 (Report - Survey). SDV7736.
The building is rectangular, at least 16.5m long by 7m wide and aligned east/west with the church. It is entered by a rounded arched doorway of standard south devon type. A large open ground floor ceiled by oak beams decorated with plain angle chamfers with bar stops. Evenly spaced square joists between each beam. May have been a solar at the east end of the building. Eastern end of building collapsed or was demolished in the early 1700s. The front and rear walls of the building were originally punctured with windows in every other bay. Massive fireplace to west wall with a keyed tudor gothic arch. Small smoking chamber to south side. This is built into an extension of a garderobe projection, lined with plaster it is a metre across. Narrow doorway leads to a small spiral stair. A two storey building constructed against the rear of the house possibly in the c17. Possibly intended as an ale store. The first floor appears to have been open and unpartitioned. Parishioners entered it on church feast days via a wooden stair (now demolished) which led up the front of the building from the west and entered the hall by a low and narrow arched doorway directly above the main front door, actually cutting into the arch voussoirs of the latter, suggesting that this design was decided on during construction, not before. The narrow door is deeply chamfered and headed with a possible granite arch now covered in cement render. The roof structure is a standard south devon a frame. Other roof structural features. After the roof repair of 1724 some alterations were made. On the outside of the building there are several medieval features see survey full details and plans.
Tyers, C + Hurford, M. + Arnold, A. + Howard, R.E. + Thorp, J., 2009, Dendrochronological Research in Devon: Phase II, 17, Photos (Report - Interim). SDV348234.
The results of a dendrochronological analysis undertaken on timbers from the roof of the house provided an estimated felling date of 1514-39, suggesting that the house was built in the first half of the 16th century.
Brears, P., 2015, Boiling Furnaces, Smoking Chambers and Malt Kilns in West Country Households, 104 (Article in Monograph). SDV365378.
The early 16th century smoking furnace at the Church House Inn, recorded by Robert Waterhouse, had a slate slab mounted across its front, in line with the fire-back, but with openings above and below, to ensure a through updraught. This may have been designed to keep the joints quite cool, and it would have been relatively easy to hang and check them. However, in view of its exceptionally early date, its unusual design and its location only a few kilometres from the coast, it may more probably have served to smoke fish, rather than meat.
Sources / Further Reading
SDV10197 | Article in Serial: Sheldon, L.. 1937. Devon Inns. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 69. A5 Hardback. 386. |
|
| |
SDV156815 | Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1979. SX74NW18. OSAD Card. Card Index + Digital. |
|
| |
SDV156818 | Article in Serial: Coutin, K.. 1973. Farmhouses in South Devon. Proceedings of the Plymouth Athenaeum. 2. Unknown. 51, 74-79. |
|
| |
SDV298102 | Article in Serial: Copeland, G. W.. 1960. Devonshire Church-Houses: Part 1. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 92. A5 Hardback. 125, Fig. 32. |
|
| |
SDV323346 | List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest: Department of Environment. 1960. Kingsbridge RD. Historic Houses Register. Unknown. 11-12. |
|
| |
SDV336496 | List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest: Department of Environment. 1989. Churchstow. Historic Houses Register. Website. 45. |
|
| |
SDV342504 | Report - non-specific: Alcock, N. W.. 1981. Cruck Construction: An Introduction and Catalogue. Council for British Archaeology Research Report. 42. Photocopy + Digital. |
|
| |
SDV348234 | Report - Interim: Tyers, C + Hurford, M. + Arnold, A. + Howard, R.E. + Thorp, J.. 2009. Dendrochronological Research in Devon: Phase II. English Heritage Centre for Archaeology Report. A4 Unbound + Digital. 17, Photos. |
|
| |
SDV365378 | Article in Monograph: Brears, P.. 2015. Boiling Furnaces, Smoking Chambers and Malt Kilns in West Country Households. West Country Households 1500-1700. Hardback Volume. 104. |
|
| |
SDV63521 | Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 1904-1906 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #140387 ] |
|
| |
SDV7736 | Report - Survey: Waterhouse, R. E.. 1991. The Church Houses of South Devon: an archaeological survey. A4 Stapled + Digital. 55-64, 87. |
|
| |
Associated Monuments: none recorded
Associated Finds: none recorded
Associated Events
- EDV5623 - Dendrochronological Research in Devon, Phase II
Date Last Edited: | Dec 18 2024 6:22PM |
---|
Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.