Details
BROADHEMBURY
ST 00 SE
4/30 Grange
(formerly listed as The Grange)
GV I
Country house. circa early C16 origins, extended and remodelled in the early C17 by
Sir Thomas Drewe, the son of Edward Drewe, Recorder of London and Serjeant-at-law to
Queen Elizabeth. Thomas Drewe died in 1622 and the house became the principal seat
of the Drewe family until 1903. There were further phases of alteration in the early
and late C18, probably carried out by Francis Drewe "who lived at Grange from 1712 to
1773" and Francis Rose Drewe, died 1801 (Mckechnie). Colourwashed plastered stone
with some cob and brick, first floor of one wing of framed construction; slate roof;
rendered stacks.
Plan: The overall plan is a long rectangle on an approximate north/south axis. The
north end is an enclosed courtyard arrangement, parts of which are probably early
C16, possibly originating as the pre-Reformation building owned by Dunkeswell Abbey.
The south block of the courtyard range was probably a conventional 3 room and cross
passage plan with a lower end kitchen at the west end and a high quality chamber over
the inner room. The east block may have been a parlour wing, the north and west
blocks probably service wings. The development of the house has been southwards. In
the circa early C17 a double depth block was added on a north/south axis with a
crosswing at the south end. This, with the old hall range, gave an overall H plan
with the most sumptuous surviving C17 rooms in the south crosswing. It seems
possible that the early C17 hall was sited in the main block but recast in the C18 to
provide the present entrance arrangement into a wide passage flanked by C18 principal
rooms with a fine stair to the rear. The C18 remodelling also gave a garden entrance
on the south side; the C18 refurbishment is of high quality and preserved a number of
C17 rooms including a spectacular, richly-panelled room in the south crosswing,
possibly the great parlour. The old putative hall range associated with the
courtyard was gradually re-partitioned and altered as the main service wing. The
house appears to have been virtually untouched in the C19. It was sold away from the
Drewe family in 1903 and in 1929 the panelling from the room in the south crosswing
was sold and moved to the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky.
Exterior: 2 storeys with an attic storey to the main block. The west elevation has
the main block to the right, and the west block of the courtyard range to the left.
Asymmetrical 4:5 window west front with regular fenestration, the main block with a
gabled projection to the left and gabled to the front at the right with an open
Corinthian porch to right of centre with a pediment and a hlaf-glazed C19 recessed
front door with panelled reveal. To the right of the front door the gabled bay has
probably C18 paired sashes on each floor: these have hexagonal lead glazing bars and
match the windows on the right (south) return which is the C18 garden front. The
other windows are C18 or early C19 small-pane timber sashes, paired to the gable
projection at the left, with 3 round-headed attic dormers behind the parapet; sashes
and casements to the west front of the west courtyard block to the left. The south
return, the C18 garden front, is symmetrical : 5-bays with a cornice with a dentil
frieze and central pediment with an oculus. The left and right bays project to the
front with hipped roofs and rusticated quoins. Central 2-leaf panelled C18 front
door with a moulded eared architrave and an engaged pedimented porch with Corinthian
columns and an entablature with a frieze. Paired sash windows, probably C18, with
hexagonal lead glazing bars, one a C20 copy. The rear (east) elevation is 4-bays to
the centre with gabled projections to left and right, the left hand projection 3
storeys. Both projections are crowned with weathervanes, said to be C17 and carrying
the initials of members of the Drewe family. Each projection has a first floor 4-
light mullioned and transomed stone window with ovolo-moulded mullions, similar 3-
light window to the inner return of the right hand projection. Ground floor window
left is a C18 paired sash, matching those on the garden (south) front, the other
windows are C18 or early C19 small pane sashes.
Adjoining at the right is the east block of the courtyard, this has a first floor 2-
light stone mullioned window to the left with ovolo-mouled mullions and an adjacent
similar 1-light window to the return; similar 3-light window to the right.
The interior of the courtyard is extremely attractive; the putative old hall range
(the south block) has 3 lateral stack, 2 projecting, and a good C16 or C17 moulded
doorframe to right of centre, possibly the original entrance to the cross passage. 2
stone mullioned windows, one transomed, survive; the other windows are small pane
sashes and casements. The east block has 6 first floor 3-light stone mullioned
windows, one ground floor window with a moulded timber frame and a 3-light casement
to the left with a hoodmould. Most of the windows retain square leaded panes. The
west block is of framed construction at first floor with 2 blocked first floor
windows and one 3-light casement. The north block has 2 first floor 3-light stone
mullioned windows and 2 large 42-pane C18 sashes on the ground floor.
Interior: Rich in C17 and C18 features. Although the spectacular panelling in the
south-east room was sold in 1929, it retains a splended C17 enriched rib plaster
ceiling with pendants and a moulded stone chimney-piece. The walls have been re-
panelled in an C18 style. The closet which opens off the south east corner of the
room also has a decorated plaster ceiling with a pendant. On the first floor above
this room a fine chamber has a probably slightly earlier single rib decorated plaster
ceiling, enriched with sprays. The remains of C17 wall panelling survives and a
splendid early C17 chimney-piece with the arms of Sir Thomas Drewe impaling those of
his wife (described by H.L. in Devon Notes and Queries) flanked by the figures of
Justice and Truth in early C17 costume. The first floor room in the south-west
corner retains its C17 panelling from floor to ceiling with a painted frieze and a
fine chimney-piece with armorial bearings (described by H.L., ibib.) Other rooms
retain C17 or earlier features and panelling (not necessarily in situ): a small room
in the north-east of the main range is panelled with a repaired strapwork frieze; the
old kitchen (west end of the hall range associated with the courtyard) has a massive
fireplace with a bread oven and a high ceiling with chamfered crossbeams; the east
end room of the same range (the putative inner room) has the remains of C17 oak
panelling, extended in pine and an incomplete strapwork frieze and cornice. The
first floor room above which has a coved plaster ceiling (see roof) has a good
moulded stone chimney-piece and 2 moulded stone chimney-pieces survive on the first
floor of the east block associated with the courtyard. C18 fittings include 2 very
fine rooms and a splendid open well stair with delicate vase-turned balusters, an
open string, a flat-topped, ramped handrail and Corinthian newels. The ceiling of
the stair well has delicate C18 plasterwork and the walls are decorated with swags of
fruit. To the right of the entrance a very complete late C18 room retains its wall
panelling; picture hooks; panelled doors; an Adam style ceiling in 3 sections and a
fine chimney-piece (receipt dated 1780 said to survive) with guns carved on the jambs
and a frieze of hounds and game carved on the lintel. To the left of the entrance an
C18 room retains a grey Ashburton marble chimney-piece, an exquisite C18 decorated
ceiling, wall panelling and panelled doors. C18 cornices and doors survive on the
first floor.
Roof: The south block associated with the courtyard retains a jointed cruck roof
construction at the east end, originally designed for a coved plaster ceiling. The
trusses have been repaired with circa mid C17 collars lap dovetailed into the
principals and the original trusses may be C16. The cruck feet have been removed on
the south side and the principals rest on a timber wall plate. The roof of the
framed west block associated with the courtyard has, as far as could be judged with
limited access, 'A' frame trusses with lap dovetailed collars, suggesting a mid C17
date. The attic storey of the main range and south crosswing is plastered for
service accommodation and access to the roof structure is limited but the south
crosswing trusses appear to be 'A' frames.
Grange is an outstanding evolved house, the early C17 enlargement very grand, the C18
refurbishment of a high quality. Before the sale of the panelling, the great parlour
must have ranged as one of the finest early C17 rooms in the country: photographs of
the room in 1904 were published in County Life, and the extant plasterwork, panelling
and chimney-piece of the early C17 reflect the quality of the enlargement of the
house and prestige of Sir Thomas Drewe.
"The Grange, Honiton", CountryLife, July 30, 1904.
Sale Catalogue of Panelling (1929), NMR.
H.L. "Grange, Broadhembury", Devon Notes and Queries, 3 (1904-5), pp. 41-44.
E.G. Punchard, "Heraldic Scrolls from Grange", Devon Notes and Queries, 3 (1904-5),
pp 44-45.
H L., "Chimney Pieces at Grange", Devon Notes and Queries, No 3 (1904-5). p 73.
Mckechnie, S. "A Devonshire Family of Georgian Times", Devon and Cornwall Notes and
Queries, 30 (1965-67), pp. 295-298.
6 C19 prints of Grange are mentioned in J.V. Somers Cocks, Devon Topographical
Prints, 1660-1870, A Catalogue and Guide (1972), these include 3 anonymous
lithographs of the drawing room, circa 1855.
The Reverend John Swete visited Grange in the late C18 and included a watercolour in
his Devon Tour, vol. 20 (1800) MS in the D.R.0.
Listing NGR: ST0928404212
