Description

HOLCOMBE BURNELL HOLCOMBE BURNELL
SX 89 SE

4/78 Holcombe Burnell Barton
11.11.52

GV II*

Manor house. Largely late C16/early C17 with some late C17 refurbishing and some
survival of early C16 features. Substantial 1930s restoration. Heavitree stone
rubble with some Beerstone, some timber windows, slate roof gabled at ends,
projecting gable end stacks, projecting stacks at gable ends of wings, left return of
main range and rear left wing roughcast.
U-plan house of an approximately symmetrical main range, 1-room deep with a central
cross passage with the hall to the left and parlour right; a rear corridor, and rear
left and right wings forming a narrow rear courtyard. The rear left wing contains
the old kitchen, the rear right wing a second parlour and fine first floor chamber.
A projecting turret on the right return at the junction of the rear wing and the main
range is in use as a porch. Although the fabric of the house appears to be
consistent with a single-build late C16/early C17 house there are some earlier
internal features and a section of wall projecting forward from the left-hand of the
main range suggests that there was once a front left wing which no longer exists.
Sir Thomas Dennis (1480-1561) built a house on the site and it is possible that the
present structure is a contraction and remodelling of an earlier, larger house. In
the late C17 part of the front range was refurbished and the rear corridor created.
In the 1930s substantial restoration took place including some new timber windows
copied from the old ones, a new hall window to the front range and some timber frame
internal partitions. A single-storey kitchen was made, adjoining the right end and
probably adapting a former dairy. A single storey rear entrance hall was added
between the rear wings.
2 storeys. Approximately symmetrical 3-window front with regular fenestration of
Beerstone ovolo-moulded mullioned windows with hood-moulds and square-leaded panes.
The first floor windows are 4-light; ground floor window right 5-light under a
relieving arch; ground floor window left, the hall window, is a 1930s sympathetic
replacement, 5-light with a high transom and relieving arch. The central open porch
has a sloping slated roof carried on stone cheeks which rise above the porch roof as
buttresses with set-offs. Reused C19 Gothic front door to the cross passage. The
left return of the main range has a similar Beerstone 3-light window, similar first
floor window to the right return. The rear wings have timber and Beerstone mullioned
windows all with square-leaded panes, the stone windows confined to the parlour
(right-hand) wing. The garden elevation of the kitchen (left) wing has scattered
fenestration of two 4-light, three 1-light and one 3-light 1930s copy window all with
replaced timber hood-moulds. A small 2-light stone window on the ground floor of the
wing (courtyard elevation) lights a curious cupboard adjoining the kitchen stack.
The garden elevation of the parlour wing has one ground and one first floor 4-light
mullioned Beerstone window (some replacement of mullions), a 3-light timber mullioned
stair window and 2 timber 1-light windows. The courtyard elevation has a blocked
ground floor Beerstone window and 2 first floor 1930s timber mullioned windows. The
remains of a wall and a blocked first floor opening on the gable end of the wing
suggest that there may have been an external stair turret giving access from the
parlour to the first floor chamber above. A gabled 2-storey projection on the garden
elevation of the parlour wing is used as a second entrance and clearly post dates the
wing.
Interior Numerous internal features of interest. The hall is largely late C17 with
bolection-moulded panelling, an open fireplace with chamfered Posbury stone jambs
with elaborate stops and a moulded timber lintel. 2 notable carved cross beams
probably date from the early C16 - it is possible that they are reused, or they may
have been retained from an earlier arrangement. They are vine-carved on the soffit
with vine and foliage carving on the sides and unstopped. The parlour has a fine
circa late C16/early C17 decorated plaster ceiling, (Period Two, French) with a
geometric design of ribs enriched by tulips and other flowers. Plaster motifs on the
walls include a representation of an owl; some of the motifs are probably C20
additions. The fireplace has Beerstone jambs carved with various motifs and a carved
timber lintel with shields. The remains of a figure between obelisks survives on the
rear wall of the fireplace. Fluted plaster pilasters in each corner of the room
extend to the C20 panelled dado. The first floor room above the parlour has a fine
overmantel, a plaster cartouche with an oval painting on plaster illustrating an
allegorical scene, possibly God and Mammon (French). Both the ground and first floor
have a number of good chamfered or moulded stopped doorways, some with circa 1700 2-
panel doors. The 1930s work is of a high quality of craftsmanship and includes a
bathroom entirely painted with artificial marbling.
The design of the roof structure is unusual for the region and combines the use of
pegs and rails; there are no principal rafters but closely-spaced common rafters
halved and pegged at the apex with straight collars lap dovetailed into the rafters
and fixed with nails. The rafters are fixed to timber wallplates, some with nails.
The design of the roof is consistent, the wings being identical to the main range.
An outstanding house with good interior features, the plasterwork is of especial
note.
French, Kathleen and Cecil, "Devonshire Plasterwork", T.D.A (1957), vol. 89, pp 124-
144.

Listing NGR: SX8591791607

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535537

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)