Ilsham Manor Oratory
ILSHAM MANOR ORATORY, ILSHAM ROAD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1206789
- Date first listed:
- 20-Nov-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Ilsham Manor Oratory
- Statutory Address:
- ILSHAM MANOR ORATORY, ILSHAM ROAD
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-08-05
- Reference:
- IOE01/08341/26
- Rights:
- © Mr Ben White. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1206789
- Date first listed:
- 20-Nov-1952
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 03-May-1994
- List Entry Name:
- Ilsham Manor Oratory
- Statutory Address 1:
- ILSHAM MANOR ORATORY, ILSHAM ROAD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- ILSHAM MANOR ORATORY, ILSHAM ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Torbay (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SX 93806 64125
Details
TORQUAY
SX9364 ILSHAM ROAD, Ilsham 885-1/15/404 (East side) 20/11/52 Ilsham Manor Oratory (Formerly Listed as: ILSHAM ROAD, Ilsham Chapel at Ilsham Manor)
GV II*
Premonstratensian oratory. C15 or earlier. Local grey limestone rubble with Beerstone dressings; gabled slate roof. PLAN: 3-stage tower with undercroft; first-floor oratory and probably second-floor chamber originally with ladder access from the oratory. EXTERIOR: 3 stages. South-east side has a ground-floor doorway to the undercroft to the left: modern lintel, shoulder-headed frame and door. To the right a flight of external stone steps leads up to the oratory door which has a timber lintel and a probably C15 recessed shoulder-headed pegged oak doorframe and C20 plank door. Shadow of gable above door may indicate former porch hood or, alternatively, abutting building. Small round-headed slit window above to the right lights chamber over oratory. Crude segmental-headed bellcote on gable. Left return has two 1-light windows, one to ground floor and one to second floor room. Arched second-floor window has remains of decayed, cusped tracery and a hoodmould, ground-floor window similar, without a hoodmould. Right return has similar second-floor window; one chamfered round-headed slit window to the oratory stage and a chamfered slit to the undercroft. The north-west face has a good Perpendicular 2-light window with a relieving arch, moulded frame, mullion and hoodmould and trefoil-headed cusped lights. Round-headed slit window to right. Smaller chamber window above, very decayed but formerly trefoil-headed with a square-headed hoodmould, flanked by small round-headed slit windows. INTERIOR: Undercroft not seen. Oratory has late C19 or C20 roof and splayed, hollow-chamfered segmental-headed reveals to the larger windows. Roof of oratory missing except for one chamfered crossbeam. HISTORY: Lands in Ilsham were given to the Premonstratensian Abbey of Torre in c1200 (Ellis) or 1489 (Pevsner). In the late C19 the tower stood surrounded by farmbuildings (the remnants of some still survive), with the manor house to its south-west. The Premonstratensian order was required to establish the building of oratories at their granges by Pope Gregory IX for individual members as places of retirement and a chapel at Higher Alfardisworthy, near Bradworthy, is said to be similar in function. Ellis includes late C19 drawings and photographs of the building. (Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1952-1989: P.861; Ellis CA: An Historical Survey of Torquay, 2nd edition: 1930-: P.59-67).
Listing NGR: SX9380664125
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 390651
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Ellis, A, A Historical Survey of Torquay, (1930), 59-67
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Devon, (1989), 861
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: South Devon, (1952), 861
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 21-Jun-2026 at 21:44:37.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.