Listing Text

TIVERTON

SS91NE CHEVITHORNE
848-1/2/64 The Old Vicarage
29/05/96

II

House, formerly a vicarage. 1870-1 by William Burges for Sir
John Heathcoat-Amory. Squared stone rubble with dressings of
probably Ham stone ashlar. Tiled roof. 2 large plain chimneys
of squared stone rubble, symmetrically placed on the ridge.
Gothic Revival style.
PLAN: 4-square main block with narrow central entrance and
stair hall. At rear, to left, a wing originally containing
larder, kitchen and scullery.
EXTERIOR: single storey with garret. 3 windows wide. Chamfered
centre doorway with pointed arch; recessed 6-panel door (2
rows of 3 panels) with sidelights. To right, a 5-light
mullioned and transomed bay window with square sides and pent
roof. To left, a 4-light mullioned and transomed window.
Above, 3 dormer gables, each of 2 lights with chamfered
copings and kneelers. All windows have plain, unmoulded stone
surrounds; small-paned glazing with margin-panes, the glazing
bars of iron. Side-elevations have windows like those at the
front.
INTERIOR: plain, but with original staircase (deal dog-leg
with patterned balustrade), panelled doors (with chamfered
panel-frames) and chimney pieces. These last, 3 on the ground
floor and 3 above, have chamfered stone surrounds and
mantelshelves, the openings segmental-headed downstairs and
flat upstairs. A seventh chimneypiece is reported to have been
moved to the coach-house at Knightshayes.
On the upper floor the rear left-hand room has a round-arched
cast-iron grate, probably original.
The right-hand front and back rooms have narrower, rectangular
iron grates with reeded surrounds and sliding shutters to
regulate the draught; flanking them are panels of brown glazed
tiling. The grates are believed to be original, although they
look somewhat later.
HISTORY: there exists a building history of the house written
on 2 sheets of vellum by the first occupant, WH Askwith,
licensed curate of Chevithorne Chapel. He relates that the
vicarage was built, at his request, by Sir John
Heathcoat-Amory of Knightshayes in 1870-1, at a cost of »700.

Listing NGR: SS9741515431