Kirkham House

__FORCETOC__ Kirkham House is a late medieval stone house located in Paignton, Devon, England.

History

It is not known exactly when Kirkham House was built, although the design suggests that it is of 14th or 15th century origin. It has been called "The Priest's House", suggesting a link with the church, but it may have been built as the residence of a prosperous local tradesman. The ground floor of the house contains a dining room and a large vaulted hall that would have been used for entertaining guests, while the first floor contains a gallery and three bedchambers. The kitchen was an outbuilding that exists today only as a few ruined walls, and there is a small garden adjacent to the house.

Mrs Ada Frances Jennings bequeathed the house to the nation in 1960, together with a sum of money for its repair. The stone and plasterwork have been extensively renovated, although many of the original oak beams and carvings can still be seen. The building contains reproduction furniture and tapestries in the medieval style.

Visiting

Location map|Devon
label =
lat = 50.43
long = -3.56
caption = Map showing the location of Kirkham House within Devon.
float = right
background = white
width = 175Kirkham House is managed by English Heritage, and it is open to the public at certain times of year. The building is located off Cecil Road at Ordnance Survey map reference SX885610. For more details on visiting times, see the link below.

ee also

*Oldway Mansion

External links

* [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.273 Kirkham House at the English Heritage website]
* [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/kirkham_house.pdf History of Kirkham House] (requires Acrobat Reader)