Royal Oak Public House

ASHBURTON

SX7569 EAST STREET 849-1/10/26 (North side) No.5 Royal Oak Public House

GV II*

Public House, probably a house originally. Late medieval with added rear wing of C19 or earlier. Roughcast solid front wall; side walls, and probably front and rear walls of stone rubble. Slated roof. Left gable has stepped stone coping with base of stone chimney on ridge. Right gable has C19 red-brick chimney. 2 rooms wide and 1 room deep (the medieval plan); ground floor rooms now combined. Right-hand room possibly a former open hall. Later rear wing to right. 2 storeys. 2 windows wide. Late C20 metal and wood casements. C19 door to left with flush lower panel and brass letterbox; upper part probably glazed originally. Ground floor right has chamfered and step-stopped beam, probably inserted C16/C17. Upper floor left gable wall has late medieval/early post-medieval corbelled fireplace (now plastered over). To rear, in angle with rear wall, a rounded recess (probably a former garderobe; cf. No.33 North Street, demolished 1970). Front roof has almost complete original trusses and purlins, 4 arch-braced trusses (including 2 gable-trusses); slightly cambered collars, plain arch-braces with open spandrels, butt-purlins, ashlar-posts (1 sole-plate visible). The 2 middle trusses have lost their collars and braces; that to W has lost 1 principal rafter. Tie-beam truss in centre with wattle and daub on E side. Some blackening; not certainly blackening from open hearth. In rear backyard wall a late-medieval/early post-medieval stone corbelled fireplace (probably re-set) placed high up.

Listing NGR: SX7561069901