Exeleigh South, Exeleigh House, Number 3 Exeleigh, Bell House and Exestowe East

Details

SX 98 SE KENTON STARCROSS

1519/6/265 Exeleigh South, Exeleigh House,
No.3 Exeleigh, Bell House and
Exestowe East

2.10.88

GV II

Villa divided into 5 houses. Described as 1847-8, enlarged in 1877 in White's Devon (1879), built for Sir J. L. Duntze, but said to be earlier, Exeleigh South and Exeleigh House are shown in an engraving of the line of the Atmospheric Railway, 1845-48. Bathstone ashlar, very fine, with a hipped slate roof behind a parapet; stacks with rendered shafts. No.3 Exeleigh, Bell House and Exestowe East are rendered.
PLAN: Altered when the house was divided in the late 1940s. Exeleigh South and Exeleigh House are the principal rooms of an overall L plan, additional rooms and the services in a NW right wing (No.3 Exeleigh, Bell House and Exestowe East) with a stable yard behind (another separate property and not included in the listing) .The principal block, facing south east across the Exe estuary has a main entrance in the right return (Exeleigh House), formerly into an entrance hall containing the stair with a main sitting room and morning room facing south east and subsidiary rooms to the rear. The division has altered the entrance hall and stair but the 2 main rooms survive intact on the ground floor. Exeleigh South is now entered on the left return. The NW wing, presumably part of the 1877 additions, includes a former billiard room in Bell House.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 3 bay south east front to main range with a plinth, moulded cornice below the coped parapet and a moulded platband at first floor level. The centre of the house is slightly broken forward with pilasters and a canted bay in the middle, clasping pilasters to extreme left and right. The canted bay has plate glass timber sashes, the windows in the left and right bays also have plate glass timber sashes and moulded stone architraves, ground floor window right (Exeleigh House) converted to a C20 French window with timber glazing bars. The right NE return (Exeleigh House) is 3 bays, the centre broken forward with left and right pilasters and a central portico with Greek Doric columns with an entablature, the portico glazed in. 2 first floor oriels to left and right with timber plate glass sashes. 2 ground floor windows with moulded stone architraves and plate glass timber sashes. The left SW return (Exeleigh South) has a large tripartite window on the first floor with plate glass timber sashes and a probably late C19 9-bay conservatory adjoining at the left. No.3 Exeleigh has C19 and C20 timber sashes, Bell House which projects forward from No.3 on the north east side has a central courtyard with a bellcote. End bay to right is Exestowe East.
INTERIOR: the black and white paved floor of the entrance and stair hall survives in both houses. Exeleigh South retains 2 good mid C19 black marble chimneypieces and a grand, probably late C19 or Edwardian, stair with turned balusters. Both houses preserve some original panelled doors with moulded doorcases and plaster cornices to the principal rooms.
The house was owned by the Studd family, who also owned Oxton House, prior to being divided in the late 1940s.
A substantial villa with high quality exterior detail set back from the road behind large gardens.
Bibliography: 9475 Whites Directory, 1879

Listing NGR: SX9744782504

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

85930

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Whites Directory in Whites Directory, (1879)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.