Law Library, Cathedral Yard

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1003867
Date first listed:: 10-Aug-1923

User submitted image — Uploaded by Ann Roberts This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
View all

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions.

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

🏠 Buildings
🏰 Scheduled monuments
🌳 Parks and gardens
⚔️ Battlefields
⚓ Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Historic England Archive

Search over 1 million photographs and drawings from the 1850s to the present day using our images archive.

Find Photos

Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1003867
Date first listed:: 10-Aug-1923

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Devon
District:: Exeter (District Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SX 92165 92607

Summary

Medieval ecclesiastical court called the Law Library, Cathedral Close, Exeter.

Reasons for Designation

The Law Library was connected with the Cathedral, is located on Cathedral Close and survives to an incredibly high standard with an intact 15th century roof complete with ornate carvings. Pevsner describes this as one of the most elaborate in Devon. Its previous use as an ecclesiastical court emphasises its importance within the context of legal and administrative activities connected with the Cathedral. It was constructed to the highest standard and retains many of its original features. The standard of survival given its age is incredibly high. It is of considerable importance.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 22 October 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes the 15th century hall of a medieval courtyard house situated to the north east of Exeter Cathedral on Cathedral Close. The hall survives as a two storied room with mullioned windows, part of an early 16th century wall painting and a small timber doorway with elaborately cusped head. Internally there is a rebuilt gallery over screens and a three bay hammerbeam roof with louver, moulded timbers supported by carved stone corbels with angels and lions and ornamented with bosses. The building was connected with the Chancellor of the cathedral since the entrance arch bears his coat of arms. It may once have been an ecclesiastical court. It is in use as a local law library.

It is Listed Grade I.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: DV 83
Legacy System:: RSM - OCN

Legal

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.