Elizabethan House and Local Museum
ELIZABETHAN HOUSE AND LOCAL MUSEUM, 70, FORE STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1235946
- Date first listed:
- 07-Jan-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Elizabethan House and Local Museum
- Statutory Address:
- ELIZABETHAN HOUSE AND LOCAL MUSEUM, 70, FORE STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-04-25
- Reference:
- IOE01/06859/18
- Rights:
- © Mr Brian Smyth. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1235946
- Date first listed:
- 07-Jan-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Elizabethan House and Local Museum
- Statutory Address 1:
- ELIZABETHAN HOUSE AND LOCAL MUSEUM, 70, FORE STREET
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:
- ELIZABETHAN HOUSE AND LOCAL MUSEUM, 70, FORE STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Devon
- District:
- South Hams (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Totnes
- National Grid Reference:
- SX 80304 60410
Details
1. 5180 FORE STREET (South Side) ------------ No 70 (Elizabethan House and Local Museum) SX 8060 SW 1/35B SX 8060 SW 2/35B 7.1.52.
I GV
2. Later C16 or early C17 merchant's house. A good example of the Elizabethan, West Country development of Pantin's right-angled house type with narrow plant it has affinities to the continental "maison a deux corps de batiments". The building consists of a 3 bay house with side passage to the east and an internal entry passage on the west side. A freestanding kitchen and buttery at the rear is connected to the house by a gallery. The main house comprises a former front shop, central staircase with attached spence and rear parlour. At 1st floor level were a fore-hall, counting house and (dining) hall with attached closets over the east side passage. Possibly built by the Kelland family; later the Eugene Inn and, in the C19, the Commercial Inn. 3 storeys with attics. 4 bay facade (ground floor). Gabled front with renewed, Welsh slate roof. Random Devonian limestone party walls and rear wall with dressed quoins and moulded jetty corbels of granite. Timber framed front with 2 bracketed jetties; carved bressumers and brackets. Cement rendering to gable and ground floor; exposed timbering to 1st floor with plaster panels. Gable windows, flush framed sashes with glazing bars; 10 light oriel window to 1st floor forehall with leaded lights is an insertion of circa 1900 (carved date) in the opening of the original C16/C17 window; modern 3 light mullioned windows to ground floor with leaded lights and barred fanlights over. Modern architraved doorway with nail-studded panel door with ornamental hinges. At side, 3 storeys. Timber-framed staircase bay with 4 light windows, all mostly renewed. At rear 6 light mullioned stone windows with cavetto mouldings, hood moulds and leaded lights. Timber-framed 1st floor gallery to kitchen block with open ground floor loggia. 2 storey masonry kitchen range with 2 and 4 light windows similar to those in rear facade of main house. Lead rainwater head inscribed "W.P 1823". Interior Original spiral staircase with round timber newel rising full height of house; turned balusters and newels to landings. Panelled partitions to chambers and staircase with ogee mouldings; similar mouldings and carved 'urn type' stops to doorways on 1st and 2nd moor, Oriel window recess of 1st floor fore-hall with ovolo mouldings. Original fireplaces in side walls with flattened, arched heads, ogee, mouldings and 'urn type' stops similar to joinery; 1st floor fireplace with plaster back decorated with painted chequer work. Early C17 chimneypiece in ground floor back chamber brought from No 49 Fore Street and inserted circa 1962: similar chimneypiece in rear kitchen brought from 14 High Street and inserted at the same time, No 70 was extensively renovated between 1958 and 1962 when the building was converted for use as a museum. (M Laithwaite). (Pantin, WA 'Medieval English Town House Plans', Med Archaeol 6-7 (1962-3) 202-39).
Listing NGR: SX8030460410
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 426812
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Medieval Archaeology in Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 6, (1962), 202-39
Medieval Archaeology in Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 7, (1963), 202-39
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 06-Jun-2026 at 10:56:56.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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