Buckland Abbey

This substantial building was constructed as a Cistercian abbey, converted into a country house in the 16th century, and is now principally used as a museum. The abbey was founded in 1278 by Amicia, Countess of Devon. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Sir Richard Grenville acquired the property in 1541, and his famous grandson of the same name converted it into a house around 1576, making various additions. Further alterations were carried out in the 18th century, and the building underwent extensive renovation in the mid-20th century.

The building has rubble walls with granite dressings, gable-ended slate roofs with coping stones, and numerous rubble chimney stacks, some with moulded granite caps dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Original Abbey Layout

The original abbey church followed a cruciform plan, with a nave flanked by north and south transepts and two adjoining chapels on each side. A central tower stood over the crossing. The accompanying abbey buildings appear to have been situated mainly to the north, with some fragments still surviving. Sir Richard Grenville probably demolished a large part of these buildings, though an 18th-century print shows the building extending further to the north-east than it does now.

Sir Richard Grenville's Conversion (circa 1576)

When Sir Richard converted the abbey church into a mansion house, he incorporated a large part of the medieval fabric, adapting it to his own uses. The transepts were demolished and the nave divided, with the eastern end converted into a single-storey great hall with a screens passage to the east. This room was sumptuously fitted out, with a fireplace inserted bearing an overmantel dated 1576. To the south of the hall, a stair wing was added to the west of the former transept. Grenville also built a large kitchen and service wing at the rear of the screens passage, featuring two large fireplaces in the kitchen. Two further floors were inserted above, subdivided into smaller rooms.

Later Alterations

Other, more minor late 16th-century alterations were made by Sir Francis Drake, who bought the property in 1581, including probably the addition of a porch in front of the hall. In the later 18th century, a staircase was inserted in the service wing at the rear of the screens passage. The gothic refenestration and dormer windows at the east end of the building probably date from this period.

Few major alterations then seem to have been made until after the First World War, when Lord and Lady Seaton excavated the former chancel of the abbey church—then the servants' hall—to discover the position of the high altar. They then converted the room into a chapel. In 1938, a severe fire damaged the west end of the house, which was afterwards restored. The next major work took place in 1949-51, when an extensive restoration and modernisation programme was undertaken in preparation for opening the property to the public by the National Trust and Plymouth City Museum.

Exterior Description

The main block is three storeys with basement and an extra storey in the tower. The south wing is three storeys with attic.

North (Entrance) Front

The asymmetrical and crenellated north entrance front has eight windows, with a single-storey projection to the left and a single-storey porch at centre. The plain square tower over the original crossing is positioned left of centre.

On the lower ground floor level are three single-light granite-framed windows to the right of centre. The centre one is very narrow with a trefoil head, probably 15th century. The right-hand one has a depressed four-centred arched head and may be early 16th century. The left-hand one is square-headed and later 16th century. Above it is another single-light window, with a late 16th-century three-light mullioned window to its right and a similar two-light mullioned window to the far right with a hoodmould. Between these two is a circa late 15th-century two-light mullioned window with cinquefoiled heads and square hoodmould.

On the first floor are late 16th-century granite mullioned windows, predominantly four-light but also some with three lights, along with a two-light and single-light window towards the left-hand end. The far left-hand window on this floor has clearly been built into the pointed arch of an original window, and there is evidence of original windows over some of the other windows on this floor.

The second floor windows occur only to the right of the tower. They are granite mullioned windows in hipped dormers incorporated in the crenellation: three-light to the left, with the two right-hand ones having four lights.

The one-room projection to the left on the ground floor was originally a chapel adjoining the chancel and transept. The blocked transept arch is clearly visible at its right-hand end, with a late 16th-century three-light mullioned window inserted into it. On its front wall, three two-light mullioned and transomed windows were inserted, probably in the 17th century, the right-hand of which has had a stone arched doorway built into it in the 19th or early 20th century. The projection has probably original granite ashlar buttresses between the windows and diagonally on the corners.

The central late 16th-century porch also has diagonal buttresses. At its front is a heavily moulded granite segmental-headed doorway with leaf design to the spandrels. The 19th-century double doors are part-glazed with gothic tracery in the fanlight. Above the doorway are three plaques bearing various Drake heraldic symbols: the left-hand one has an upraised glove, the right-hand one a knight's helmet, and the central one carries the Drake arms. If Drake himself did not build the porch, then he probably added these designs when he bought the house. The right-hand wall of the porch has a similar but simpler doorway, now a window.

The main front of the house also has buttresses. The three to the right are of rubble and were probably added by Grenville; the two left-hand ones, now partially obscured by the former chapel, are of ashlar and may be original. On the north face of the tower, the position of the steeply gabled transept roof is evident, with the blocked transept arch below.

South Front

The fenestration of the south front dates mainly from Grenville's time, apart from two windows with Perpendicular tracery to the left. The principal features are Grenville's stair projection to the left of centre, the blocked transept arch to its right (the infilling and hall windows are early 20th century), and Grenville's kitchen wing to the far right, which shows evidence on the ground floor of two blocked arches to the south chapels from the transept.

East Front

The east front has arched windows with gothic tracery inserted probably in the later 18th century.

Interior

Interior features reflect the status of the building, with some evidence of its original function still visible.

The Chapel (Former Chancel)

In the chapel, originally the chancel, the shafts of its original pillars are visible in the corners. Two piscinas have also been revealed. The former north chapel retains its stone cross-vaulted roof.

Evidence of the Abbey Church

On the second floor, at either side of the partially exposed chancel arch, are two carved corbels at the point of the springing. On the third floor, the crossing of the abbey church can be clearly distinguished, with all four arches surviving. The chancel arch was lower, and directly above it was a Decorated window, of which the head with its tracery and rear arch can still be seen, although it has had a door inserted beneath.

The Great Hall (Late 16th Century)

Much more survives of the late 16th-century domestic conversion and modernisations carried out by Sir Richard Grenville and then Sir Francis Drake. The great hall is the most impressive result of this and remains little altered. Its north, south and west walls are lined with ornate high-quality panelling. The top panels are arcaded, each with a carved lion's head at the apex. The panels are divided vertically by fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals. Above each pilaster are figures, some grotesque, in high relief. The frieze is inlaid with arabesques and has a modillion cornice above. It is arguable, however, that this may be the later work of Drake, as stylistically it is more typical of circa 1600. A decorative plaster frieze above has a running foliage and flower motif. At the east end of the hall are four fluted pillars with an inlaid frieze running above; the screen may have been open at this end.

On the north wall of the hall is a large moulded granite fireplace, with the heavy roll moulding rising to an ogee at the top with a ball motif underneath. The fireplace back is constructed of slates in a herringbone pattern. The granite framing is enclosed by a probably 18th-century wooden surround. Above is a plaster overmantel depicting the figures of Justice, Temperance, Prudence and Fortitude, with the date 1576 at the top in Roman numerals.

The elaborate narrow moulded-rib plaster ceiling follows a geometric design of interlaced squares and lozenges with two pendant finials. The ceiling curves downwards to meet the plaster frieze, and on this curve are four moulded plaster corbels with satyrs on them holding scrolled shields. At the west end of the hall is an allegorical plaster frieze depicting a knight seated under the tree of life with his war equipment beside him, his shield hung in the tree and his unsaddled horse resting nearby. A skull and hourglass are beside him. The corresponding frieze at the east end is purely decorative. The floor may also be contemporary and is laid with triangular slabs of red tile and white limestone.

The Kitchen (16th Century)

The 16th-century kitchen has two very large fireplaces. One in the gable end wall had a segmental arched lintel inserted below. The lateral fireplace has a square opening with chamfered lintel and two stone ovens. Partly obscuring this fireplace are four 16th-century charcoal-burning ovens. The high ceiling with simple plaster cornice is probably 18th century. Adjoining the lateral fireplace is a four-centred arched granite doorway, chamfered with pyramid stops.

Stair Wing

Grenville's original staircase has been replaced by a 20th-century one, but the 16th-century roof of the stair wing survives, consisting of substantial principal rafters with morticed curved collars, all richly moulded. Purlins and wall plate are also moulded.

First Floor Rooms

The room on the first floor at the west end was probably a parlour in the late 16th century. It is also panelled in a very similar style to the hall, except the panels are not arcaded. There is a small depressed four-centred arched granite fireplace with decorated spandrels and moulded jambs. A similar fireplace survives in the adjoining room.

Beyond it is a room refitted in the 18th century, with a fielded-panel dado and doorcases with projecting frieze and cornice. A bolection-moulded wood surround with projecting cornice frames an earlier granite fireplace. The back of one panel bears the inscription "Mr Tho.Rowe, April 1st 1772, Master of this job and foreman of the Sawyers"—presumably this refers to the 18th-century joinery in the room, although the panelling and fireplace surround are of a slightly earlier style.

The 18th-Century Staircase

The 18th-century staircase is fairly typical of this date, being open well with cut string and three turned balusters to each step, carved scrolled tread ends and wreathed handrail. Fielded dado panelling to the stairs incorporates fluted pilasters opposite the newels. There are also two good dog gates, both of open fretwork with inverted segmental tops.

The Tower Room

In the tower room is one of the few features definitely attributable to Drake. It is a granite-framed moulded fireplace with plaster overmantel bearing Drake's arms with the Latin inscription "Sic Parvis Magna" (Thus great things from small). Alterations appear to have been made, however, as one side of the overmantel bears the date 1655 and initials R.N.

Significance

This building has an unusual historical background. It is one of the few medieval abbeys to undergo conversion into a house, incorporating much of the medieval fabric. It has also passed through the ownership of two illustrious Elizabethan sailors and adventurers and remained in the Drake family for over three hundred years. It is the combination of these historical associations with the preservation of so much of the early fabric and high-quality internal features of the later 16th century which give this building its importance.