Church House

SX 86 NE ABBOTSKERSWELL MAIN STREET Abbotskerswell 3/23 Church House - 23.8.55 GV II Church house used as village hall. Mid C16 restored in 1913-14. Limestone rubble walls and gable ended slate roof on chamfered stone cornice. 3 rubble stacks; the left-hand gable stack is corbelled and the right-hand gable stack projects. Projecting lateral stack at front. Probably 2 room plan originally from positions of stacks - one larger room heated by lateral stack and smaller room heated by gable stack. Newel stairs in larger room on opposite wall to fireplace. Probably one room on first floor heated by corbelled gable end stack. Access by external stone staircase at rear as well as newel stairs on the same wall. 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4 window front of 2, 3 and 4 light early C20 wooden mullions with 4 centred arched heads and 'leaded' panes. Wooden lintels. Wall projects slightly towards right-hand end and on the ground floor there is original heavy round-headed chamfered wooden doorframe. To its left is a similar early C20 fascimile doorway which is narrorwer. The chimney projects to left of centre. C19 outshut against right gable end. Interior: Good quality beamed ceiling to ground floor rooms of chamfered cross beams with hollow step stops and similarly decorated joists. Some beams rest on chamfered wood corbels. Half beam at right-hand gable end appears to have pyramid stops. Fireplaces are blocked. The roof timbers date from the early C20 restoration and consists of common rafters exposed upto collar height and chamfered. Original square-headed wooden doorframe to newel stairs survives on first floor, chamfered with masons's mitres. Stone newel stairs. Documentary evidence relates that on 24th November 1542 the Abbot of Sherbourne gave to "our parish Church of Kerswell Abbot" a parcel of land on which is built the church house. Despite the C20 restoration, this church house remains virtually unaltered in form, preserving some good quality internal features, with more possibly concealed, and is a good example of its kind occupying a very prominent position in the village centre. Source Devon Sites and Monuments Register.

Listing NGR: SX8570368753