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TAVISTOCK ABBEY

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Remains of Tavistock Abbey sited in the centre of the town of Tavistock on the north side of the River Tavy south west Dartmoor. Originally the Benedictine Abbey of St Mary the Virgin and St Rumon begun by Ealdorman Ordgar and completed by his son Ordulf 975-80. It was burnt down by the Danes in 997 but was soon restored. The abbot and 20 monks surrendered the monastery in 1539. Remains include two sections of boundary wall, the Great Gate (west entrance to the precincts), the 'still-house' (a small square tower), the Abbot's Hall and its porch, the Abbey Gatehouse also called Higher Gate or Town Gate and some ancillary buildings on the eastern boundary of the Abbey precincts, possibly the Abbey Mill. Scheduled. Dependencies: Trseco, Cowick (Exeter), Denbury.

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(SX 48137438) Abbey Wall (NR)
(SX 48147433) Abbey (NR) (Remains) (NAT)
(SX 48167426) Still House (NR)
(SX 48167426 to SX 48217433) Abbey Wall (NR)
(SX 48197441) Gatehouse (NR)
(SX 48227441) Tower (NR) (1)

The Benedictine Abbey of St Mary the Virgin and St. Rumon at Tavistock was begun by Ealdorman Ordgar who died 971 and completed by his son Ordulf 975-80. It was burnt down by the Danes in 997 but was soon restored.

There were 14 monks in 1377. It became a mitred abbey in 1458. The abbot and 20 monks surrendered the monastery 3.3.1539, and all except one received pensions. (2)

Remains of the Abbey comprise two sections of boundary wall, the Great Gate (west entrance to the precincts), the 'still-house' (a small square tower), the Abbot's Hall and its porch, the Abbey Gatehouse also called Higher Gate or Town Gate and some ancillary buildings on the eastern boundary of the Abbey precincts, possibly the Abbey Mill. All are listed as Grade 1. (3)

5185 BEFORD SQUARE Remains of north-west corner of Abbey Cloister and Church Wall in St Eustachius' Churchyard SX 4874

4/15 7.9.51 I GV

13th century L-shaped fragment of wall including the upper part of a moulded 13th century arch with cusped arcading below. The longer part of wall belonged to the Abbey Church.

Excavation in 1914 (now fiiled in) revealed more of the church walls and some early 14th century floor tiles.

5185 BEDFORD SQUARE Abbey Gatehouse SX 4874 4/24 739351 I GV

Late 12th century with 15th century additions restored 1824. Two storeys. Two pointed arched windows with hood mouldings. The fine 12th century arches remain. The upper room (now the Tavistock Library) was originally approached by an external staircase on the north side. The Gatehouse was altered and thoroughly restored by John Foulston when it converted into the Tavistock Library (founded 1799) in 1829. Scheduled Ancient Monument.

5185 PLYMOUTH ROAD (south side) Porch to Abbot's Hall in Grounds of Bedford Hotel [formerly listed as Porch to Abbot's Hall (Dairy of Bedford Hotel)] SX 4874

4/83 7.9351 I GV

Late C15 or early C16. Probably a later addition to the Abbot's Hall (see the Abbey Chapel, Abbey Place). Square 2-storey granite tower with angle pinnacles. Archway leading to Unitarian Chapel now blocked. Good vault to porch with carved bosses. Scheduled Ancient monument.

5185 PLYMOUTH ROAD (south side) 'Betsy Grimbal's Tower", The Vicarage SZ 4874 4/84 7.9.51 I GV

Mostly 15th century. The Great Gate of the Abbey, west entrance to the precincts. Moulded segmental arches, (one blocked) with flanking towers. Under the arch stands the stone coffin found when the Chapter House was destroyed. The bones contained in it are now in St Eustachius' Church (gv). Named after corruption of the Blessed Grimwald. Scheduled Ancient Monument. (4)

SX 4817 7435: Part of the standing, ruined and buried remains which encompass Tavistock Abbey sited in the centre of the town of Tavistock on the north side of the River Tavy south west Dartmoor. Scheduled. (5)

The gatehouse has gunports of uncertain date. (6)

Excavations at Tavistock Abbey in 1997-9 when a sewer trench was laid, gave a longitudinal section through the sanctuary. The footings of the choir and asiles to the north and south provided a minimum eastward limit for the aisles and allowed the alignment of the church to be directly established for the first time.The church is further to the south than proposed by Radford in 1932-3. Three high-status graves were also found, two of which had chalices. (7)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:2500 1954

( 2) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)77,483

( 3) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) Tavistock Devon March 1950 1-2

( 4) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE(HHR)Town of Tavistock, Devon, Dec 83 5,6,9,29

(5) Scheduled Monument Notification

EH scheduling amendment, 28-SEP-2001

(6) Fortress Study Group Fort : the international journal of fortification and military architecture

4, 1977 Page(s)84

(7) Devon Archaeological Society proceedings

57, 1999 Page(s)149-203

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