Gotham House
| Gotham House | |
|---|---|
  Location within Devon | |
| General information | |
| Location | Tiverton, Devon, England |
| Coordinates | 50°54′07″N 3°29′14″W / 50.9020°N 3.4872°W |
| Completed | 18th century |
Gotham House is a Grade II* listed merchant's townhouse on Phoenix Lane in Tiverton, Devon, just to the northeast of the Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life. It was one of a number of buildings constructed in Tiverton following a fire in 1731. The building was restored in 1966 and currently serves as the base for a firm of solicitors. The house and its forecourt walls and entrance gates became listed on 12 February 1952.[1] There have been reports of the house being haunted.[2]
History
Gotham House was built in the early 18th century by clothing merchant and mayor of Tiverton George Davey (1690–1746).[3][4] It was one of a number of buildings rebuilt in Tiverton following a fire of 1731, making it a rare example of an elaborate Georgian townhouse.[5] The house remained in the Davey family for a few generations, passing to George Davey's son Roger after his death, and then to his brother George. It then became the property of George's daughter and son-in-law, Captain John and Bridget Hamilton.[3] George In the 1880s, Major Poyntz, Chief Constable of Essex, resided at Gotham House.[6] Since 1960, the building has served as offices of law firm Ashford's Solicitors.[7][8] The house was restored in 1966 by architects Clement Toy and Raymond Erith.[1] It has occasionally been opened to the public since then.[2][9][10]
Architecture
Exterior
Gotham House is a 3-storey Flemish bond red brick building, with a basement. It has a symmetrical 5-bay front with four brick columns reaching to the top of the first floor, two surrounding the entranceway and one at each end. These are topped with moulded caps and a projecting white cornice. Four columns extend from this cornice to the roof. The windows have slate stonework below and are topped with arches of rubbed brick in a lighter colour; there are fourteen windows at the front and fifteen at the back. The house has pilastered doorcases at both the front and rear. At the front, there is also a round-headed outer doorway. The house has a slated roof with an 'M' profile, with chimney stacks at either end constructed of brick with yellow chimney pots. There is cast-iron guttering.[1]
Interior
The house has a double depth plan, being two rooms wide.[1] The interior retains many 18th-century features, including a library containing books and manuscripts from the period and a mahogany staircase dating back to its original constructions.[2] There is a marble mantelpiece, with Corinthian columns and a frieze with depictions of sphinxes and cherubs. Surviving additions from the 19th century include a pantry and a dumb waiter.[1] Several historical items have been found in the basement, including documents signed by Oliver Cromwell.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Gotham House Including Forecourt Walls and Entrance Gates, Tiverton". The National Heritage List for England. English Heritage. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 "Doors open on wealth of heritage". Western Morning News. 14 September 1999.
- 1 2 Evans, Jane (May 2008). "Merchants' Trail Medley – A Personal Note" (PDF). Tiverton Civic Society Newsletter 68: 7–8.
- ↑ Evans, Jane (2008). "Around & About St George's Churchyard - Reading the Stones" (PDF). Tiverton Civic Society Newsletter: 19.
- ↑ Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1991). Devon. Yale University Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-300-09596-8.
- ↑ Haileybury and Imperial Service College (1900). Haileybury register. p. 429. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ↑ The Solicitors' journal. The Journal. January 1987. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ↑ "History". Ashford's Solicitors. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ↑ "Mid-devon". Western Morning News. 31 August 2004.
- ↑ "Get a free slice of local history". Mid Devon Gazette. 2 September 2008.