Slees

This is a house dating from the 17th century, situated in Stoke Gabriel, Devon. It likely began as a single-room dwelling and has undergone several expansions over time. The construction utilizes rubble stone walls, some of which are rendered with smooth cement, and a Welsh slate roof. Most of the windows are timber replacements from the 20th century.

The house’s plan includes a main single-depth range, possibly originally a single room, enlarged with the addition of a cross-passage and corridor. A large chimney with an inglenook and winder staircase is located near the main entrance. A further bay set back from the front appears to the north. A later, 19th-century range acts as a cross-wing, projecting to the roadside. A single-storey lean-to structure attached to the main range serves as a corridor, incorporating a porch and what may be a former bread oven. The house faces northeast.

The two-storey exterior presents a variety of building lines, roof heights, and forms, with a prominent central chimney stack featuring offsets that dominates the road front. The street-facing windows are timber casements. A wide plank door leads into the cross-passage. The garden front has more window openings, most of which are modern.

The interior is understood to contain areas of cobblestone and stone flag flooring, and an inglenook fireplace. The building stands beside a historic lane in Stoke Gabriel, near the River Dart, and is one of two historic cross-passage houses in the village. It's shown on Ordnance Survey maps from 1888, 1906, and 1933 with its current layout, having been updated in the 20th century, and currently serves as a single dwelling.

Slees is designated at Grade II for its architectural interest as a good example of a 17th-century vernacular house with later additions and distinctive details, particularly the large chimney stack. It also contributes significantly to the character of Stoke Gabriel and reflects the village’s historical development.