Venue Type & Location
Overview
Located a few miles SW of Exeter high on a ridge of the Haldon Hills with splendid panoramic views, the house remaining on the site is a modernized, mostly late 16th/early 17th c. construction of Heavitree stone rubble with Beerstone for the finer stonework. The main road from Exeter to Tavistock ran past the house and adjacent parish church.
The original plan of the house apparently included an outer courtyard with a barn on the E and a chapel with other buildings on the W. The interior of the house has been remodelled over the centuries but 2 cross beams with vine and foliage carving remain from the original house (possibly relocated). The fine plaster ceiling in the parlour is ca. 1600.
Performance History
A possible performance venue. Relevant family records do not survive but Holcombe Burnell was one of the residences of the Denys family in the 16th c. when their entertainers appeared elsewhere in Devon.
Current Status
History of the Venue
1430--1 Manor acquired by the Denys family.
16th c. Sir Thomas Denys reconstructed the parish church and built the house.
1604 Estate sold to the Godolphin family of Cornwall who made extensive alterations.
by 1628 Acquired by the Champernownes of Dartington.
Later 17th c. Part of the front range was refurbished and rear corridor created.
17th--21st c. Leased or purchased by a succession of owners.
18th c. Outer courtyard demolished.
1930s Substantial restoration: new timber windows modelled on older design, new timber frame internal partitions, single-storey kitchen added at the right end with new rear entrance hall between the rear wings.
Record Source
REED Devon 38, 45, 130--1, 133, 224, 228
Patrons who owned this venue
| Name | Date | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Denys, Robert | 1530-1592 | Knight |
| Denys, Thomas | 1477-1561 | Knight |
Bibliographic Sources
- Cherry, Bridget, and Nikolaus Pevsner. Devon. London: Penguin Books, 1989
- Garner, Thomas, and Arthur Stratton. The Domestic Architecture of England during the Tudor Period. 2 vols. London: Batsford, 1911
- Hoskins, W.G. Devon. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1973
- Polwhele, Richard. The History of Devonshire. 1st ed. [1793--1806] printed by Trewman and Son for: Cadell, Johnson and Dilly (vol 1); Cadell, Dilly and Murray (vol 2); Cadell and Davies (vol 3); all in London. 3 vols. Dorking: Kohler & Coombes, 1977