Devon House Flats

Devon House Flats, originally the Devon House of Mercy for the Reception of Fallen Women, was built in 1865 by Henry Woodyer. The building is constructed from coursed granite rubble with Bath stone dressings, although the ground storey of the south-east wing has been rebuilt using artificial stone. Later yellow brick buildings are located at the western end. The roofs are largely covered in slate, mostly tarred, and feature red brick chimney stacks with square shafts and projecting brick courses. The architectural style is austere High Victorian Gothic. The building consists of a long main range with cross-wings on the north and south sides, forming an H-plan. A two-storied entrance porch is centrally located on the north side, and a large chapel wing extends to the east. Lower buildings, some single-storied, are positioned at the western end, with the stone-built ones bearing rainwater heads dated 1865. The structure is two stories high with garrets, apart from the single-story western buildings. Windows are predominantly stone-mullioned or mullioned-and-transomed, with 2-centered heads. Steeply pitched roofs incorporate gabled dormers; some north-side dormers have wood casements with shouldered heads. Some original window glazing remains, typically with two or three panes per light, along with other old glass. The chapel has undergone significant alterations, including a 20th-century flat roof and new fenestration. Remnants of buttresses and the three-sided east end are visible, featuring triple lancet windows (now blocked) on each side. The northeast side has a lower portion of one window replaced with 20th-century glazing. A small portion of the interior was inspected, revealing a few chamfered, 2-centered arched stone doorways. The foundation stone was laid in 1865 by the Earl of Devon, whose second son, the vicar of Bovey Tracey, was instrumental in establishing the institution. It was initially managed by the Clewer Sisterhood of Windsor and housed 72 residents.