Description

CHUDLEIGH FORE STREET (west side), Chudleigh
SX 8679
6/59 No 43
23.8.55

GV II

House. Circa early C16 origins, remodelled in the circa late C16, again in the circa
early C18 and extended to the rear and refronted in the C19. Stone, cob and stud
walls, colourwashed and plastered; mansard slate roof end on to the street; lateral
stack on left hand wall.
Complex evolution. Surviving evidence suggests that the present building was part of
an early C16 house parallel to Fore Street but with a floor level considerably below
the level of the present street. A plank and muntin screen, partly at basement and
partly at first floor level survives from this phase.
Plastered over on the exterior, the screen now forms part of the right hand wall of
the building but was probably originally an internal partition in a house that was 2
or 3 rooms wide. In the circa later C16 a substantial remodelling and alteration to
the floor levels occurred, relegating a portion of the plank and muntin screen to the
basement, and giving a 2 room deep plan. It is not clear when the house was reduced
to a 1 room wide plan, losing 1 or 2 rooms at the right end and re-roofed at right
angles to the street, but this probably took place before or co-eval with the
insertion of a grand circa late C17 re-used stair. In the C19 the house was extended
to the rear and refronted. The present plan, end on to the street, is 1 room wide
and 3 rooms deep with the stair cell in the centre.
2 storeys and attic. 1 window front to main range with a single-storey flat-roofed
entrance block, slightly set back, adjoining at the right end. The entrance block is
largely C20 with a flush panel door, flat porch canopy and rectangular fanlight. The
main block has a dentil cornice and a 2 storey canted bay with slightly recessed
canted bay windows ; 12 panes to the centre light and 8 panes to the flanking lights.
Interior Several features of interest. The remains of an early C16 plank and muntin
screen, now forming part of the right hand wall of the house, with chamfered muntins,
with runout stops at the top(lower stops decayed). Abutting the screen on the
present ground floor, a post is mortised into a chamfered cross beam with step stops.
Dogleg stair with vase balusters, 2 flights and a landing, is clearly re-used at
considerable labour. The balusters to the top landing have egg and dart capitals and
laurel'wreath bases. The handrail may originally have had ball finals. In the rear
room on the ground floor an iron post supporting the ceiling may indicate the
position of the rear wall of the original house. A rounded wall in the cellar
suggests the position of a former newel stair dating from the C16 phase. 1 good
first floor early C19 iron grate with decoration.
An intriguing evolved house with a fine stair.

Listing NGR: SX8664279406

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26389365

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)