Description

BISHOPS TAWTON BISHOPS TAWTON
SS 53 SE
7/24 Court Farmhouse
25.2.65
GV II

Farmhouse, incorporating remains of Bishop of Exeter's palace. C15 with possibly
some earlier fabric; heavily remodelled in late C18. Random stone rubble with
ashlar dressings. Slate roof of 2 pitches, hipped at left end, half-hipped at
right end. Large lateral stack to west side with slated off-sets and tall brick
shaft. Brick stack at right end, ridge stack and 2 other off-centre stacks. The
early features are concentrated at the 2-storeyed south service end and through-
passage. Virtual rebuilding and widening of house in late C18 above the through-
passage has obscured original plan, now of single principal room to each side of
through passage. Also added in late C18 were Gothick towers at all the corners
except to the north-east.
2 storeys. East side has tower to south-east corner with brick crenellated
parapet. Blind roundel above blocked window with timber lintels. Small 2-paned
casement near base with probably reset nowy-arched stone lintel. Two 2-light
casements to right, that to left with 3 panes per light, above sash 2 over 2 panes
with timber lintel. 2-storey porch to right with plain gabled bargeboards. C20
window and doorway. At right side, slated lean-to roof to brick kitchen extension
of 1 1/2 storeys. Gabled dormer with carved bargeboards above 3 C20 windows, the
central one with slate dripmould. Rounded bread oven to north side with slate
capping. Slated lean-to roof to porch to its right in angle of single storey dairy
extension with slate roof projecting to north with plank door. Towers at each
corner on west side, that to left sits on the dairy roof with semi-circular brick
arch infilled with brick to rear. Each has brick crenellated parapet and blind
window to false top stage above 4-centred arched openings with transomed casements
with diamond leaded cames and dressed stone voussoirs. Similar casement to right-
hand tower. Left tower has 1/2-glazed door with small niche above. Between the 2
towers, the 2 left hand bays of the 4 break forward, with C20 conservatory
enclosing C19 sash 8 over 8 panes to left of French windows. Otherwise C20
fenestration but with chamfered stone surrounds to 2 ground floor windows to right.
The rear wall of the dairy which extends from left side tower incorporates an early
doorway and window opening, the doorway with ashlar chamfered surround to left of
partially blocked window with hoodmould and label stops, both probably reset in the
late C18 rebuild and now enclosed in greenhouse. 2 C18 blind quatrefoil loops
above. Towers on the south side with blind roundels above tall narrow openings,
infilled to left, 4-paned light to right flank 3-light cavetto mullion window with
cusped heads and diamond leaded cames. Octofoil opening to small stone panel inset
above.
Interior features include heavy chamfered and stopped beams to service end, with
former entry from through passage by possibly C15 pointed arched doorway with stone
chamfered surround now blocked. Barrel vaulted ceiling to large chamber above with
single boss probably of wood depicting dove and olive branch conceals 2 large
trusses above with short curved feet resting on timber wall plates. Cranked
collars morticed into soffits, 2 tiers of threaded purlins and added tier of butt-
jointed purlins near base. No smoke-blackening. Remaining roof structure is of
C18 rebuild with later patching.

Listing NGR: SS5659030079

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26401525

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

• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)