Description

SS 81 SE CRUWYS MORCHARD CRUWYS MORCHARD
2/81 Cruwys Morchard House and walls to
walled garden at north east
5.4.66
GV II*
Manor House, seat of the Cruwys family. Circa mid C16, described as "lately ...
enlarged and modernized" in 1850 (White's Devon). Ashlar masonry to the front
elevation, rear elevation and east elevation rendered ; hipped slate roof behind
parapets ; 8 stacks, some with rendered shafts, some with stone shafts.
H plan with a central heated entrance hall and left and right crosswings, the right
hand crosswing extends further to the rear than the left crosswing. The earliest
dateable part of the house is the rear of the right crosswing which contains a fine
circa mid C16 parlour or hall on the ground floor, heated by a projecting lateral
stack. It is possible that this crosswing was originally the main range of the house
but re-roofing and later alterations make it difficult to establish the early plan
form. Hoskins suggests that the present entrance hall may be "disguised Tudor". An
old beam is said to have been removed from the left hand crosswing suggesting the
possiblity of an early courtyard arrangement. The circa early C19 remodelling
created the present, almost symmetrical plan. The principal stair rises axially from
the heated entrance hall with a second stair in a small projection to the rear left
of the main range. The rear of the house is enclosed by a small courtyard.
2 storeys. Symmetrical front elevation, facing south, the 3-bay centre recessed
between the 2-bay crosswings with a plinth and a parapet above a deeply-moulded
cornice. A l-bay block at the right end is set back from the right hand crosswing.
Shallow central circa early C19 porch with Ionic pilasters and a fanlight with spoke
glazing was added in the late C20, originating from a house in Tiverton. 12-pane
sashes except for the right hand additional block which has a ground floor 6 over 9-
pane sash. C20 single-storey addition, set back from main elevation, at left end.
Carved label stop, resited on front elevation with date of 1694.
The east elevation appears to be earlier with a gabled stair wing adjacent to the
large projecting stack heating the C16 parlour. The end of the right hand crosswing
is gabled and beyond it a block with a lower roofline has a hipped end. The rear
elevation has a circa early C19 round-headed stair window to the rear stair.
Interior The C16 parlour has an exceptionally fine intersecting beamed ceiling with
moulded beams and cross joists. Partly rebuilt fireplace with timber lintel dated
1654. The parlour is divided from the block with the lower roofline by a narrow
passage ; both the passage and the room under the lower roofline have plastered-over
chamfered beams. Good early C19 features elsewhere in the house ; the entrance hall
is panelled with pilasters with a marble chimneypiece and plaster ceiling rose ; the
main stair with turned balusters and deeply ramped weathed handrails C19. The window
lighting the rear stair has C19 stained glass including the Cruwys arms. The roof
structure throughout is a circa early C19 king post and strut arrangement.
The stone rubble slate-capped walls of a walled garden to the north east of the house
are included in the listing.
Cruwys Morchard house has been the seat of the Cruwys family since at least circa
1175. Margaret C.S. Cruwys Cruwys Morchard Notebook (1939) includes some references
to the house. 2 drawings of the house are in the possession of the present owner.
One, a copy dated in the 1860s shows the front elevation with the parapet.
An evolved house with a handsome front elevation and good interior features.

Listing NGR: SS8748112194

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530881

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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