Bowden House

Bowden House
Devon
Bowden House
Location
Grid reference:	SX80145885
Location:	50°25’2"N, 3°41’18"W
History
	Built c 1509
For:	John Gyles
	Country house
Information
Owned by:	The Bowden House Community

Bowden House is the manor house of the historic Bowden estate, in the parish of Ashprington, near Totnes in Devon.

The present mansion house is a Grade I listed building and, having been modified over many centuries, is composed of various building styles, with an emphasis on Baroque and Tudor.

Bowden House was given a Grade I listing in 1952; a rare distinction given as the house is considered to be of exceptional interest and of national importance.

Once a grand family house presiding over its estate, it is now owned by a communal eco-community, known as 'the Bowden House Community'.

History

Land at Bowden was occupied by the de Broase family in 1154 but nothing is visible in the structure of the house to suggest it contains anything as early as this. The estate passed through several families before Thomas Giles acquired Bowden in 1464. It is to the Giles (or Gyles) family that the house owes its origin.

The house was built around 1509 for John Gyles, as a fine, early Tudor mansion.

The Giles Family lived at Bowden for about 250 years during which - it is reported - they prospered and being of generous spirit shared their wealth and their home as ‘there is evidence that John Giles fed as many as two hundred hungry townspeople at his own table during a period of near famine.

In 1700-1704, Nicholas Trist acquired the estate, and he remodelled and expanded the hosue with new south-east and south-west fronts.

In about 1800, Bowden was bought by the Adams family (formerly of Charlton Adam in Somerset) and, among other things, much work was clearly done to the roofs. The Adams family owned the estate until 1887.

In about 1914 Bowden was purchased by Montague Bush, who sold it to Robert William Campbell-Davidson (fl. 1923). In the Second World War it was requisitioned for use by the US Army, and was later used as a special school. In 1965 the house was purchased by Ayles family who in 1976 sold it to Christopher and Belinda Petersen, who sold in 2000 to Mrs & Mr R. Taylor; sold 2005 to Jan Mosbacher; who sold in 2014 to Bowden Housing Cooperative.

Description

The house today is of two storeys. On first approach Bowden’s primary façades provide a consistent and refined 18th Century screen to the mixture of ages and styles of its much remodeled interior (Fig.1). The massive rendered chimney stacks, some with their roots in the 16th Century, appear a little crude in contrast to the cleanly square dressed stone of the south and west elevations. These elevations together, contain thirty well-proportioned openings with two main entrances and thirty sliding sash windows, all set within polished ashlar architraves. The secondary elevations to the east and north display much more clearly the many modifications made over time and incorporate masonry remnants and leftovers from previous builds.

Bowden House, from the south

The oldest parts of the house lie to the north and east. Much of the foundation and some of the internal walls of the current building are likely to have their origin in the construction work done during the ownership of Thomas Giles, who acquired Bowden in 1464. John Gyles built a large Tudor mansion early in the 1520s, about one third of which remains today and was incorporated into the current building. Evidence of the original plan layout of Giles’ construction can be gleaned from studying the still existing cellar walls (now supporting the 18th Century south range) and the southern outer courtyard walls, which contain significant sculpted masonry features: a large granite gateway with an arched four centered head, continuously moulded jambs and leaf carved spandrels.

Hinges to the inner face of the gateway and a worn and polished doorsill with a central latch bolt hole might indicate that the outer courtyard walls once carried a roof; alternatively the gateway was reused as a courtyard entrance. The cellar and courtyard walls together suggest a possible original H-shaped arrangement of internal spaces.

Ground floor plan of Bowden House

Initially, after the Trists added their new ranges, the 'Giles' hall may have been used as a servants' dining room or hall, while the principal dining room was in the new south range.

The fine plaster ceiling in the 18th century south entrance hall was possibly inserted by the Adams family, as it carries a shield of arms of 'Adams of Bowden'; 'semy of crosses-crosslet fitchy, a lion rampant within a border engrailed', impaling 'three escallops'.

The Bowden House Community

Bowden House Community, present day owner and occupier of the Bowden Estate, is a "group of families and individuals developing conscious, authentic and eco-mindful living within a culture of singing, working, eating, gardening, celebrating and learning together".

As part of this community Bowden House itself is owned by the Bowden Housing Cooperative Ltd. and is shared by its residents.

References

• Fanthorpe, Lionel & Patricia: 'The World’s Most Mysterious Places' (Hounslow Press, 1999)
• Lysons, Daniel and Lysons, Samuel: 'Magna Britannia', Vol. VI.: Devonshire (1822)
• Northan, Irene: 'Visit historic Homes in Devon' (D.R. Northan, Brixham, 1987)
• Nikolaus Pevsner: The Buildings of England: Devon, 1952; 1989 Penguin Books ISBN 978-0-300-09596-8
• Burke, John: 'Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank but Uninvested with Heritable Honours', 4 volumes (1833–1838), Vol. 4, ("Small Paper Edition"), London, 1838, pp. 434–4, Adams of Bowden
• Pole, Sir William: 'Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon' (before 1635, republished 1791)
• Risdon, Tristram: 'Survey of Devon'
• Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L. (Ed.): 'The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620' (1895) p. 409 (pedigree of Giles of Bowden)