History

Substantial fortified manor house dating from the C14 to the early C17, now primarily a roofless ruin in State guardianship. The Bassett family occupied the site from the first recorded references in 1262. During the occupancy of Sir Rice Mansel during the C16 the house was extended and developed; the outer gatehouse, the enclosure of the middle court and the later storeyed porch to the central range were erected in 1586 and 1600 respectively. In the C17 the Bassett family abandoned Beaupre in favour of the smaller nearby Fishweir. However, there is evidence of partial habitation during the early C18 with blocked fireplaces and windows in attempts at tax avoidance. The manor was sold in 1709. The building became progressively ruinous with only this SE block continuing to be inhabited as a farmhouse to the present day. The farmhouse originally comprised the kitchen range to the Beaupre complex. The history of the house is fully documented in the RCAHMW Inventory.

Exterior

Two storey farmhouse with ground floor store at S end with accommodation over, dating from the C14. Four bays with rendered front elevation and part painted rear elevation of coursed limestone rubble construction with a batter to the base. Slated roof of discontinuous pitch stepping down at the S end with modern roof. large clustered, chimney stack to N end and modern axial stack to S. Front elevation has no original fenestration. To the N end a section of the elevation has been raised at the eaves to create a pent roofed dormer lit by two windows. Two larger windows below, with a C16 four-centred doorway to the W, in dressed stone with plain chamfered jambs. To the S end is a narrow, two-centred doorway, glazed behind, with simple, convexly moulded jambs and broach stops. Possibly of C14 date. Modern windows to the right hand side and above appear to occupy original openings. Stone staircase leading up to former granary at far S end. S elevation is unlit, however, the S end of the range has numerous putlogs. The W elevation, at the S end, is unrendered with ashlar quoining to the S gable. Two pairs of multi-paned casements beneath the eaves with modern opening and outhouse beneath. Modern lean-to conservatory to W elevation with an early, wide arched opening with two-centred head of voussoirs evident on the rear wall, now blocked and pierced by an enlarged window opening at first floor level. Three randomly sized casements above. At the far N end is a full height mono-pitched extension with slated roof returning across the S elevation of the S range of the manor house, lit only at ground floor level.

Interior

A four bay plan entered on the E side with three rooms on each floor, with the exception of the byre range at the S end. At the N end is a living room, originally the kitchen with two large fireplaces in the N gable wall with shallow voussoired arches springing from a central pier, with ovens to E and W jambs. On W is a cantilevered corridor at high level constructed in timber and plaster, inscribed "I Butler 1664". Four exposed beams with broad chamfers with torus and hollow stops. A four-centred doorway leads into the kitchen lit on the W by two modern windows, and another four-centred doorway on the S wall leading into the hall. The kitchen has three exposed beams running E/W with broad chamfers and hollow stops. The two exposed beams in the hall running on a N/S axis have similar detail. The third bay has no exposed features other than the two-centred doorway on the S elevation. S end is used as a store. Modern stair in W extension leading into central partitioned chamber on S side through doorway with depressed Tudor arch. In the N wall is a dressed stone fireplace with four-centred head. The timber gallery to the W of this room gives access to a further chamber to the NW of the main S hall block of the manor house via a doorway with four-centred head and chamfered jambs. The central and S chambers have been partitioned to create two smaller rooms in each. In ground and first floor many of the windows have deeply splayed reveals suggesting original openings of an early date. The surviving roof structure at the N end retains a central truss with cambered collar and three trenched purlins.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade II* by virtue of its early date, surviving internal features, historic importance and group value with the Old Beaupre complex.

Scheduled Ancient Monument No. 7/2025/Gm1 (part)

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17744294

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

• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas