Description

WHITESTONE CHURCH TOWN
SX 89 SE

4/118 Glebe House
11.ll.52 (formerly listed as The Rectory)

GV II*

House, formerly priest's house and then rectory. Possibly C15 with circa late C16
remodelling and at least 2 phases of extension including one of 1775 and further
extension of the early C19. The old part of the house is cob, built directly on to
the shillet, the later additions largely brick, all colourwashed and rendered; slate
roofs, the early building gable-ended (formerly hipped), the later additions under a
2-span hipped roof, brick stacks.
Overall L-plan, the early part of the house to the north west. Long history of
evolution, beginning with a high status medieval open hall house which was 2-storey
at the lower end to the left (south) with a narrow inner room to the right (north)
with an original internal jetty. (Alcock and Laitwaite). The hall was probably
floored in the late C16. Alcock and Laithwaite sugges that the front lateral stack
was inserted in the C18 or C19. The post-medieval sequence is not entirely clear, but
internal joinery suggests that the lower end and passage were rebuilt in the early
C18 prior to a substantial remodelling in 1775 of the lower end and extension at
right angles to the front of the old house, adjoining the lower end. This gave a new
south-facing symmetrical range with a kitchen to the left of a central entrance
passage and a best parlour to the right. The hall and inner room of the old house
were presumably used as a service wing. The south facing range was later extended 1
room to the right (east), probably in the early C19 (after 1830) and the 1775 range
was given a new porch. Finally, the former coach-house to the rear (north) of the
south range was incorporated as part of the house accommodation. In the C20 a
conservatory/porch has been added to the former coach-house.
2 storeys. The south elevation has a symmetrical 5-bay front with a 2-bay addition
at the right end. Early C19 central Greek Doric porch with a 2-leaf half-glazed
front door and rectangular fanlight with diamond glazing bars; deep eaves with timber
brackets and large pane sash windows, 6-pane to the first floor and 12-pane to ground
floor.
Interior A good medieval roof, late C16 features and fine early C19 interiors
survive. The 3-bay medieval open hall roof, below a later roof, has high quality
carpentry: 3 bays of arch braced jointed crucks with cranked collars mortised into
the principals, a diagonally set threaded ridge with a strengthening piece below the
junction of the principals, 2 tiers of butt purlins and curved wind braces. The roof
apex is not thoroughly accessible but is heavily sooted above both the inner room and
hall but not sooted on the left-hand (lower) end of the left-hand truss, which is
closed. The ridge suggests that the roof originally extended further to the left,
over what was probably a 2-storey lower end before the C18 alterations.
A particularly interesting feature of the central truss, above the hall, is that the
centre of the collar is brought down as a plain oval pendant with a flat soffit. A
hip cruck (unjointed) survives at the right (inner) end of the old range. On the
ground floor the circa late C16 hall is very complete. The fireplace has stone jamb
and a plain timber lintel. The hall has a plank and muntin oak screen at the inner
end with ancient colour (red on the top rail and muntins, some ochre on the planks)
and chamfered muntins stopped off at hall bench level. The first floor above the
inner room is jettied into the hall with joists with curved ends. At the lower end
of the hall a second plank and muntin screen has a blocked Caernarvon arched doorway
formerly leading to the (putative) passage. Above the screen a partition wall rises
through the first floor. Both screens have been repaired in the late C20. The hall
has 1 chamfered cross beam and 2 half beams with step stops. The circa early C19
rooms are very complete with good doors below arches, shutters and chimney pieces.
The principal stair has stick balusters, bobbin-turned newel and ramped, wreathed
handrail . Small pieces of stained glass, probably originating from the church, have
been incorporated into a C20 glazed door; the stained glass includes a medieval
Courteney arms. 2 interesting features of the old house, discovered in the C19, have
been resited in an outbuilding adjoining the house: a massive doorway, originally the
front door to the passage, with oak jambs mortised and pegged into a straight lintel,
(which may formerly have been ogee-headed, Alcock and Laithwaite) and a 4-light C15
timber mullioned window with moulded trefoil-headed lights which was formerly in the
first floor of the inner room.
2 illustrations of the Glebe House (entitled "Whitestone Rectory") are reproduced in
the T.D.A. One of circa 1830 shows the south elevation prior to its extension by 1
room to the east, the other of circa 1870 shows the south elevation and south porch
as they exist at present.
Extant plans (photocopies in the possession of the owner) indicate the extent of the
1775 alterations.
An outstanding house for its high quality medieval roof, its C16 features and fine
late C18 and early C19 additions.
Braddick, L.E. "Whitestone and Oldridge", T.D.A.. Vol XCIV (1962), pp. 339-362.
Alcock and Laithwaite, "Medieval Houses in Devon and their Modernization", Medieval
Archaeology, Vol. 17, pp. 100-125.

Listing NGR: SX8682494326

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535833

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record