Eldin House

Reasons for Designation

Eldin House has been designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Competently designed mid-C19 Gothic Revival house with three principal elevations and a largely intact interior demonstrating a quality and thoroughness to the treatment of the whole building * Rich stone carving particularly to the capitals to the windows and porch * Richly detailed and unusual fittings such as the doors, doorcases and principal staircase which demonstrate careful consideration and craftsmanship of a high quality * Up-to-date use of materials such as plate glass and the round arch fireplace

Details

EXMOUTH

931/0/10019 FAIRFIELD ROAD 10-JUL-08 ELDIN HOUSE

II Gothic Revival house built in the mid-C19. Architect unknown but likely to be John Hayward.

MATERIALS: Constructed of square uncoursed rubble limestone with Beer stone dressings. It has a steeply pitched slate roof.

PLAN: The two storey house is a roughly square block with a former service range to the north.

EXTERIOR: The west elevation includes the service range to the north end with a projecting bay to the north end of the main house. It has a pair of sash windows to the ground floor and a single sash window with circular window above within a pointed arch. The porch is to the right of the gable projection and has a pointed arch with ball flower label stops and columns with foliate capitals. To the side elevations of the porch are pairs of cusped headed windows divided by a column with foliate capital. The carvings to the capitals and label stops all differ in their design. The entrance door has been replaced but its surround with pointed arch and quatrefoil within survives. There is a sash window above the porch. To the right of the porch is a truncated chimney stack. The south and east elevation have the same architectural treatment. A projecting bay and a single storey canted bay. The canted bay to the south elevation, based on historic map evidence, appears to have been added in the mid-C20. The ground floor tripartite window to the projecting bay have columns with foliate capitals and trefoil decorative detailing within the string course above. The canted bay has a balustrade with quatrefoil detail. To the upper floors are pairs of sash windows with a circular window above within a pointed arch. To the north end of the east elevation is the service wing which has these windows to the first floor. To the ground floor are two single sash windows and a later inserted casement window. To the north elevation is the end of the service range with some single storey C20 additions. There is a bracketed eaves cornice to the whole building and bargeboards to the gable ends, many of which are decorated with a flower motif.

INTERIOR: To the interior many of the bespoke internal fixtures and fittings survive including cast iron round arch fireplaces with marble surrounds, cornicing with acanthus leaf and egg and dart plasterwork, window furniture and deep skirting boards. Also surviving are the doors and staircase which demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship and appear to have been specifically designed for Eldin House. The staircase is in the Second Pointed Gothic style and has elaborate decorative newel posts with ball and knop finials and the individual panels to the balustrade include two light windows with cusped heads and quatrefoils to the apex. The doors have six panels and a mid-rail with inlaid panels and flower reliefs. The unusual door surrounds consist of pillars with bases and capitals; the capital is surmounted by a console with floral ornamentation and capped by a gablet. The service wing has plainer architectural detailing retaining its staircase with stick balustrade and many of its doors with deep architraves.

HISTORY: During the 1860s, the Rolle family of Bicton, owners of most of the land around the small seaside resort of Exmouth in Devon, made a conscious attempt to develop the town into a rival for Torquay. Amongst their plans was the creation of high class suburb, linked to the commercial centre by a new road (Rolle Street). A plan of the development by architects Banks and Barry produced in 1865 details the plots of lands for sale and Eldin House is located in an area advertised as "sites of about an acre for first class villas". Eldin House was built for the un-beneficed Rev'd Henry Clarke who lived at the property until the early C20. The house then became a dormitory for Southlands School which was made up of three buildings, Fairfield House, Brockhurst House and Eldin House. The two other buildings have been demolished. Eldin House then became the social club for Rolle College which was inherited by the University of Plymouth.

SOURCES: Plan of Exmouth shewing new street through old town (1865)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: Eldin House is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Competently designed mid-C19 Gothic Revival house with three principal elevations and a largely intact interior demonstrating a quality and thoroughness to the treatment of the whole building * Rich stone carving particularly to the capitals to the windows and porch * Richly detailed and unusual fittings such as the doors, doorcases and principal staircase which demonstrate careful consideration and craftsmanship of a high quality * Up-to-date use of materials such as plate glass and the round arch fireplace

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

504580

Legacy System:

LBS

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.