Orleigh Court

Details

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22.1.52

BUCKLAND BREWER
Orleigh Court


I

Manor House. Early/mid C14 hall, built for the Dennys family,
altered when very fine late C15 hammer-beam roof installed;
altered c. 1720 for Joseph Davie, whose father, a Bideford
merchant, had acquired the property in 1684; exterior remodelled
after 1869 for Thomas Rogers by J.H. Hakewill; converted into
flats in 1982. Coursed slatestone rubble; gabled slate roof;
stone ridge stacks. Courtyard plan with open hall to right of
porch. Two-storey front elevation has wing projecting to left
making L-plan. Front to left, of 3-window range, has C20 door
and plate-glass casements set in chamfered stone architraves of
c. 1870. Main front wall, of 5-window range, has moulded
stone-mullioned and transomed windows of c. 1870 to left and to
gabled projection of c. 1870 on right; C20 door set in chamfered
architrave of c. 1870 to left; tall late C16/early C17 six-light
ovolo-moulded stone-mullioned and transomed window to right of
2-storey gabled porch. Porch has oriel window of c. 1870 above
late C15 archway, with vine-trails to outer arch and fleurons to
inner arch; C15 studded plank door with original lock set in
2-centred early C14 wave-moulded doorway. Left side wall, of
5-window range, has plate-glass sashes set in chamfered stone
architraves of c. 1870; right side wall, of 6-window range, has 2
lead downpipes dated c. 1720, and plate-glass sashes set in
moulded stone architraves of c. 1870. To rear is a fine brick
Venetian window of c. 1720, with thick glazing bars to fixed
panes and switch tracery to central fanlight. Interior: open
hall, to right of front porch, has stone-flag floor, flat stone
arch over open fireplace, plastered walls, and reset late C16
panelling with scallop-carved heads and blind arches with fluted
pilasters and carved spandrels. Main feature of open hall is the
fine late C15 four-bay hammer-beam roof, supported by various
head and figure corbels; heavily moulded wood cornice; hammer
beams have carved pendentives and are surmounted by unusual
heraldic beasts; moulded beams and purlins divide ceiling into
panels of diagonal and square framing with carved bosses; fine
arch-braced trusses. Early C18 panelled double doors, set in
moulded wood semi-circular arched architrave, lead to early C18
inner hall to rear right of open hall. This inner hall has
panelled doors, dado, moulded plaster ceiling and dog-leg
staircase with landing of c. 1720: fine staircase has
barley-twist balusters set in open string, decoratively-carved
brackets and panelled dado with fluted Doric half-columns.
Staircase is lit by Venetian window with fine fluted Corinthian
pilasters and Corinthian entablature. Landing has similar dado,
doors and plaster ceiling. First-floor rooms have
bolection-moulded panelling and fireplaces. Flat to left of
porch has late C16 dog-leg with landing staircase with turned
balusters set on closed string. Room over porch has mid C19
Gothic-style fireplace and ribbed ceiling. L-plan rear wing is
not of architectural or historical interest. History: Orleigh
was granted to Dennis family in C13 by Tavistock Abbey. Sold to
John Davie, a Bideford merchant, in 1684: his son Joseph altered
the house c. 1721.
(W.H. Rogers, Buckland Brewer, (undated book of c. 1920), pp.
50-54; National Monuments Record).

Listing NGR: SS4297422259

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

91389

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Rogers, W H, Buckland Brewer, (), 50-54

End of official list entry

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