Description

TORQUAY

SX9364 ILSHAM ROAD, Ilsham
885-1/15/404 (East side)
20/11/52 Ilsham Manor Oratory
(Formerly Listed as:
ILSHAM ROAD, Ilsham
Chapel at Ilsham Manor)

GV II*

Premonstratensian oratory. C15 or earlier. Local grey
limestone rubble with Beerstone dressings; gabled slate roof.
PLAN: 3-stage tower with undercroft; first-floor oratory and
probably second-floor chamber originally with ladder access
from the oratory.
EXTERIOR: 3 stages. South-east side has a ground-floor doorway
to the undercroft to the left: modern lintel, shoulder-headed
frame and door. To the right a flight of external stone steps
leads up to the oratory door which has a timber lintel and a
probably C15 recessed shoulder-headed pegged oak doorframe and
C20 plank door. Shadow of gable above door may indicate former
porch hood or, alternatively, abutting building. Small
round-headed slit window above to the right lights chamber
over oratory. Crude segmental-headed bellcote on gable. Left
return has two 1-light windows, one to ground floor and one to
second floor room. Arched second-floor window has remains of
decayed, cusped tracery and a hoodmould, ground-floor window
similar, without a hoodmould. Right return has similar
second-floor window; one chamfered round-headed slit window to
the oratory stage and a chamfered slit to the undercroft.
The north-west face has a good Perpendicular 2-light window
with a relieving arch, moulded frame, mullion and hoodmould
and trefoil-headed cusped lights. Round-headed slit window to
right. Smaller chamber window above, very decayed but formerly
trefoil-headed with a square-headed hoodmould, flanked by
small round-headed slit windows.
INTERIOR: Undercroft not seen. Oratory has late C19 or C20
roof and splayed, hollow-chamfered segmental-headed reveals to
the larger windows. Roof of oratory missing except for one
chamfered crossbeam.
HISTORY: Lands in Ilsham were given to the Premonstratensian
Abbey of Torre in c1200 (Ellis) or 1489 (Pevsner). In the late
C19 the tower stood surrounded by farmbuildings (the remnants
of some still survive), with the manor house to its
south-west. The Premonstratensian order was required to
establish the building of oratories at their granges by Pope
Gregory IX for individual members as places of retirement and
a chapel at Higher Alfardisworthy, near Bradworthy, is said to
be similar in function. Ellis includes late C19 drawings and
photographs of the building.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1952-1989:
P.861; Ellis CA: An Historical Survey of Torquay, 2nd edition:
1930-: P.59-67).

Listing NGR: SX9380664125

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17549919

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

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)