Gatehouse at Colleton Manor

Details

CHULMLEIGH SE 61 SE 5/9 Gatehouse at Colleton Mannor 20.2.67 - I

Gatehouse and integral former chapel. Probably C15 remodelled in circa C16 or early C17, minor alterations probably of the early C19 and repaired in C20. Local sedimentary ashlar with hollow chamfered plinth moulding. Slate roof with coped gable ends, the apexes with moulded caps and balls and coved stone eaves cornices. C19 stone stack on rear right hand corner with moulded cap. Plan and development: Small rectangular plan 2-storey building on an east-west axis. On the ground floor the one large room is entered by way of a doorway from the wide archway which passes through the right hand east end of the building to the forecourt of the house. The archway is not in line with the screens passage of the house. There is one large chamber above open to the roof, its access from an external stair turret at the left hand (west) end of the rear (north) wall. There is a doorway (now blocked) from the ground floor room to what must be a small closet under the stairs in the turret. The upper chamber was probably the C15 chapel. The front (south) and back (north) walls appear to have been refaced in ashlar probably in C16 or early C17. The first floor doorway in the east end and the first floor fireplace in the north east corner are later alterations after it ceased to be used as a chapel. The upper part of the west end wall has been rebuilt in C20. Exterior: South front has archway through to right with wide wave and-cyma moulding, hoodmould and C20 studded door. To left a small single light ground floor window with cavetto moulded frame and hoodmould. Larger 3-light window on first floor without a hoodmould. The north elevation facing the house has a round archway to the left with a broad wave moulding, pyramid stops and a hoodmould; small ground floor window similar to that on the front and first floor window as on front but 4 lights. To the right on the corner the main roof is carried down over a rectangular stair turret with a small window light at high level in the front wall and a doorway on its left hand inner return. The doorway has a wave moulded Tudor arch rebated on the outside for the door, the left end of the hoodmould sunk into the front wall of the main building. The door opening is slightly tapered and above the arch a carved frieze of knots and flower motifs; the door is C20. The west end wall has a diagonal buttress with set offs partly buried in the wall of the coachhouse to the south west; the west gable has been rebuilt and rendered. The east end wall a circa C19 round arch doorway on the first floor approached by a flight of steps. The doorway, inside the archway, to the ground floor room had a rounded arch with a wave moulding and pyramid stops and an old plank door with studs. The ceiling over the carriageway has large closely-spaced unchamfered joists. Interior: The ground floor room ceiling has deeply chamfered intersecting beams forming 9 compartments with unchamfered joists. There is a narrow space between this ceiling and the west end wall. The blocked doorway to the closet/cellar under the newel stairs has a chamfered triangular almost Tudor arch and pyramid stops. Inside the stair turret stone winder stairs to first floor doorway which has a wooden round arch frame with a cyma moulding; the doorway has been blocked. The first floor is open to the fine 4-bay Medieval roof; the five arch-braced trusses have curved feet (raised crucks) and rest on large chamfered sole-plate strings. The arch braces are chamfered, the collars cranked and the 3 ties of purlins and diagonal ridgepiece are threaded through the principals. The original common-rafters appear to have been replaced. There is a cira late C19 fireplace in the north east corner of the first floor. Historical note: Colleton was the seat of the Burys from the late C14 and a chapel was first licenced in 1381 and again in 1402 and 1413 but the existing building might have been built later in C15. Sources: Hoskins, W.G. Devon page 368. Country Life 28th August 1915 pp. 296-301. C19 engraving by E. Ashworth.

Listing NGR: SS6687914652

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

97185

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Country Life in 28 August, (1915), 296-301
Hoskins, W G, A New Survey of England in Devon, (1972), 368

End of official list entry

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