Woodway House is in
Teignmouth
Teignmouth ( ) is a seaside town, fishing port and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign, about 12 miles south of Exeter. The town had a population of 14,749 at th ...
, South
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It was at one time a farm on lands held by the
Bishops of Exeter
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
. In around 1815 a thatched "cottage" in the "
cottage ornée" style of
Horace Walpole's (1717–1797) Thames-side villa,
[Evans, Tony & Green, Candida Lycett Green (1982). English Cottages. Pub. London.] Strawberry Hill, was built here by Captain
James Spratt of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
.
Walpole built his villa at
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
in around 1747 and set a fashion for rural romantic Gothic-style retreats. A number were built by retired colonial administrators and military men who liked verandahs, spacious lawns and the sunny climes of Devon.
Woodway House is Grade 2
Listed Building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, a classic example of the romantic Devonian "
chocolate box
Chocolate box art originally referred literally to decorations on chocolate boxes. Over the years, however, the terminology has changed; it is now applied broadly as an often pejorative term to describe paintings and designs that are overly ideal ...
" cottage orné style of architecture.
History
Woodway had formerly been a farm, originally constructed in the form of a
Devon longhouse until Captain James Spratt built the large
cob and
thatch
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of ...
cottage on the front in around 1815. A mansion house on the lower boundary of the Woodway grounds was known as Gorway. Demolished in the 1970s, it was named after the Norman baron, Serlo de la Gore. Woodway would have been part of its feudal holdings and could have been the home farm. Gorway's large stables, gate house and coach house survived and were for many years used by a company that maintained garden machinery.
The owners of "Woodway" Farm, at this time probably known as Leafield (1890
OS map), prior to the Spratts were the Brimage family who appear to have moved to Holcombe in Dawlish, apart from Spratt's sister-in-law, Leah, listed in the 1851 census as the "house proprietor" of Woodway Cottage in Woodaway Lane. The Whalleys lived at Woodway from around 1886 and appear to have been friends of the Spratts for some time previous to their purchase. Lt.Col.P.R.Whalley, D.S.O. sold Wodewaye in 1951 and the Griffith family became owners until around 1992.
The name Wodewaye may have been used by the Whalleys from the romantic notion that Woodaway derived from "
Woden
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory ...
's Way",
[Griffiths, G.D.& E.G.C. (1965). History of Teignmouth. Brunswick Press. Teignmouth. p. 68.] rather than a colloquial use of the word ''wood'', however another possibility suggested by the 1890 and 1860 OS maps is that there was another house called "Woodway" further up Woodway Road, next to "Luchana" and the "Grove". Later its name was changed due to the endless confusion between Woodway House and Woodway or Wodeway Cottage. The Griffith family were therefore able to use the name Woodway House from the early 1950s. One of the walks described in an early guide (1830s) to the area mentions "Woodaway Cottage, the residence of Lieut. Spratt, R.N."
[Carrington, N. T. and others. ''The Teignmouth, Dawlish, and Torquay Guide: with an account of the surrounding neighbourhood, etc.'' Pub. E. Croydon, Teignmouth. p. 59.]
A number of features of the old farm remained, including a lane that had joined up Woodway Road with the Dawlish Road and with the Gorway Mansion. This was always referred to as the "moat".
The boundary walls are of old "
Devon hedge
A Devon hedge, also known as a Devon hedgebank, consist of a rubble or earth bank that is usually topped with bushy shrubs forming a hedgerow, with trees also being a frequent and noticeable feature.Devon's Hedges (1997), p.1. The bank may be fac ...
s" in several places, with stone sides and planted with fine oaks, elms, and other trees and shrubs. The field beyond the front garden was called the Lea Field on the 1890 OS map, indicating that it was the first of the farm fields originally created from tree felling, etc. when the farm was established.
The
duck house is a
cob-built building, sadly no longer thatched. A duck pond was located nearby, but no sign of this remains. A number of white glazed earthenware eggs have been found in the soil around this spot, being used to encourage a broody hen or duck to lay more eggs.
Cherry laurel bushes bordered the lawn on the right facing the bottom of the garden, together with a boat-shaped box hedge. The path was edged with stones that seem to have been removed from a "Devon hedge", judging by their size and type.
Rose of Sharon
Rose of Sharon is a name that has been applied to several different species of flowering plants that are valued in different parts of the world. It is also a biblical expression, though the identity of the plant referred to is unclear and is dis ...
shrubs lined the path running to the old school room at the front of the house. Barked-wood poles were used to construct the arches that covered three of the exits from the front lawn, each having trailing roses trained onto them.
The 1825 drawing shows a number of pine trees and a marble monument on the front lawn, topped with a
flag of St. George, which commemorated the
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...
. Pieces of this structure were still in existence in the 1960s, dumped at the bottom of the garden. This drawing was done by Miss. P. Whalley of Deanway, Branscombe,
Seaton, Devon, during the time that Thomas Spratt was living at Wodewaye.
In the back garden of the house is a red sandstone building, cobbled inside, which was used latterly as the woodshed and fuel store (paraffin, diesel, etc.) A collapsed stable lay to the right-hand side as viewed from the front. The floor was lined with bricks with a central drainage channel and drain. This building had been two stories high and was probably used for the farm horses, the coach or "trap" horses, usually
hackneys
[Peters, J.E.C. (2003). Discovering Traditional Farm Buildings. Shire Books. . p. 56.] being kept in the stable off from the central courtyard of the old farm buildings. Near the old greenhouse in the back garden was an "apple rack" with several drawers for storing the crop from the orchard. This apple rack was used until the 1970s when the structure became unsound and was not replaced. The rack can be seen in the drawing illustrated here.
Design and construction
Woodway House shows three clear phases of construction, with the
cottage orné
Cottage orné () dates back to a movement of "rustic" stylised cottages of the late 18th and early 19th centuries during the Romantic movement, when some sought to discover a more natural way of living as opposed to the formality of the preceding ...
of the early 19th century, the old farm buildings and the tutor's living quarters and a classroom, built before 1825. James Spratt had three sons and six daughters, making home tuition both economical and appropriate.
The identifiable remains of the old farm buildings consist firstly of a barn with a hay loft that collapsed in a gale and was demolished in the 1960s. A cobbled courtyard with a deep well, granite trough and pump surrounded by outbuildings which include an upper story which had a ladder running up to it, probably for access to the stable hand's dwelling. Another pump was located inside the side wing which was the boiler house, with its chimney. The clothes were boiled here on washing days and the pump drew water from the well outside, using a system of lead pipes. A door from the courtyard, now removed, led directly into the main room of what was the living area of the farm. This large room still had a "polished" mud floor in 1951 and the large kitchen fireplace is still present. In the floor of this room was a hatch that led down to a bottle shaped storage cellar with a wood ladder, hidden when the floor was tiled over in the 1950s.
The cottage orné part of the dwelling is built of
cob, the foundations of the walls being only huge split oak trunks resting on the native bedrock of red sandstone. The walls are between three and four feet thick, giving a cool building in summer and a good insulation against the cold of winter. The thatch is also a highly effective insulator. The Devon saying is that "All cob wants is a good hat and a good pair of shoes", meaning that cob will last for hundreds of years as long as water is kept away. Its other value is that, unlike bricks, the material is a single unit, giving great integrity and stability. Unfortunately Woodway suffered from water damage in the late 1980s due to an old chimney flue open to the rain. This necessitated much remedial work and construction of a substantial side buttress. The height of the old farm dwelling was considerably increased when the cottage orné was added.
A rare survival internally is the system of
bell pulls and bells installed to summon servants to the various living rooms and bedrooms of the house. This system works via wires and pulleys which all lead to the area outside the big kitchen, this being the servants area of the house in
Victorian times
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardi ...
. The system still worked in the 1980s. A number of ornate fireplaces survived, although some were hidden behind wood screens. A constant concern was the chance of setting the thatch alight. The 1825 drawing shows no
weather cock
A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...
, however one was added later and acted also as a
lightning conductor
A lightning rod or lightning conductor (British English) is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning hits the structure, it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducte ...
. The
French windows are a major part of the design effect, as they seem to run continuously from the ground to the first floor of the building. Inside, these windows had large wood screens that could be unfolded to close off these ground floor "doors" or windows as they effectively are on the first floor. The rolls of black cloth used to
black out the other windows during World War II were still stored in the attic in the 1970s.
The front door is enclosed by a porch, however the design of the front door surround shows that it was built to be exposed to the weather and the porch was added later. A false or blocked up Gothic chapel-style window faces the driveway. With the age of this part of the house, it is possible that the window was blocked up to save on
window tax
Window tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house. It was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, France, and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries. To avoid the tax, some houses from the p ...
after the new schoolroom and tutors living quarters were added.
[Bennett, Graham (2006). Coin News. April 2006, pp. 51–52. ]
Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt
Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt
Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt (11 May 181112 March 1888) was an English vice-admiral, hydrographer, and geologist.
Life
Thomas Spratt was born at Woodway House, East Teignmouth, the eldest son of Commander James Spratt, RN, who was a hero of ...
was the eldest surviving son, of
James Spratt. Thomas was born at Woodway House in 1811. He left home to join the Royal Navy in 1827 at the age of 16. His forty-year career (1832–1863) was mainly spent with the surveying service in the Mediterranean. He married Sophia Price, daughter of Edward Price Esq. in February 1844 and had a son, Edward J. H. Spratt, who is recorded as being an army major in 1888. His Royal Navy role was as a surveyor and hydrographer, however his mentor,
Captain Graves, encouraged him to study archaeology, history, geology,
palaeontology, natural history and even
numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects.
Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...
. He had a considerable coin collection based on the Mediterranean countries.
[Encyclopædia Britannica (1953). Spratt, Thomas Abel Brimage. Vol.21. Pub. London.] He was a friend of and corresponded with
Edward Forbes
Edward Forbes FRS, FGS (12 February 1815 – 18 November 1854) was a Manx naturalist. In 1846, he proposed that the distributions of montane plants and animals had been compressed downslope, and some oceanic islands connected to the mainlan ...
, the noted naturalist (12 February 1815 - 18 November 1854), born at Douglas, in the Isle of Man.
He was involved with developing
cable laying techniques and carried out extensive survey work for the French and British allied forces during the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...
. For his services he was promoted captain in 1855 and awarded the C.B. and the distinction of officer, 4th. class,
Legion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...
by Napoleon III.
[Douglas-Morris, Kenneth (1982). The Naval General Service Medal Roll for 1793-1840.] He also received the Baltic, Crimean and Turkish medals and the
Alma clasp. He carried out extensive survey work connected with improving the defences of the island of
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. 1863 saw the end of his service afloat, due to his recurring malaria. He rose to rear-admiral by 1872 and vice-admiral in 1878. He died in 1888 at his home in Clare Lodge, Ephrain Road,
Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. T ...
. His name continues in the form of several books dedicated to him and two extinct species named in his honour.
The Teignmouth Bar or Sprat sands
Following a severe bout of malaria Thomas Spratt was given home sick-leave. As a result, he was able to spend the years 1848-49 studying the movements of the Bar sands at Teignmouth and published a book on the subject, dedicated to Sir William Reid, Governor of Malta. The book was entitled ''An Investigation of the Movements of the Teignmouth Bar'' and he gave all his data to the Teignmouth Harbour Commission. At this time the commission were struggling to relieve the local trade from an unjust tax, levied annually by the town of Exeter.
[Spratt, Thomas (1856). An Investigation of the Movements of Teignmouth Bar. Pub. London.] Mr. Bell an assistant engineer on the South Devon Railway spent some months confirming the accuracy of Spratt's observations.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "on ...
, who had bought an estate at Watcombe, congratulated Captain Thomas Spratt on his scheme to improve the promenade and the harbour entrance at the same time; "I never read a more sensible, concise and practical discussion of such a subject".
[Trump, H.J. Westcountry Harbour][Warner, Pat (2006). Brunel's Teignmouth. Monograph 14. Teignmouth & Shaldon Museum & Historical Society. p. 30.]
The main improvements were never carried out, however some dredging works were implemented in 1857 near the Den Point following complaints from mariners. In 1865 yet further dredging works were carried out, and a
groyne
A groyne (in the U.S. groin) is a rigid hydraulic structure built perpendicularly from an ocean shore (in coastal engineering) or a river bank, interrupting water flow and limiting the movement of sediment. It is usually made out of wood, concre ...
330 yards long was later built out from abreast of Ferry Point to arrest sand.
[Ewans, M.C. (1964). The Haytor Granite Tramway & Stover Canal. Pub. David & Charles. p. 43.] Spratt also published a plan of the revolving movements of the sands at the Exmouth Bar.
Although a different spelling, it seems possible that the "Sprat sands" were named after him.
Gardens and wildlife
An old orchard with twenty or so trees was complemented by a new orchard planted in the late 1960s. A wide variety of cooking and eating apples were joined by pear tree varieties, cherries and plums. The flora of the old orchard sward was dominated by primroses and violets. Detailed plans of these primroses were plotted yearly in the 1970s to show the change in distribution. In addition to the wild type, white, red, pink and multi-headed varieties grew here. Green alkanet (''
Pentaglottis sempervirens'') grew here, together with
black bryony
''Dioscorea communis'' or ''Tamus communis'' is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae and is commonly known as black bryony, lady's-seal or black bindweed.
Description
It is a climbing herbaceous plant growing to 2–4 m t ...
,
flowering currant,
horseradish
Horseradish (''Armoracia rusticana'', syn. ''Cochlearia armoracia'') is a perennial plant of the family Brassicaceae (which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, cabbage, and radish). It is a root vegetable, cultivated and used worldwi ...
,
butcher's broom (''Ruscus aculeatus''),
bluebells (blue, pink and white), ''
Aquilegia
''Aquilegia'' (common names: granny's bonnet, columbine) is a genus of about 60–70 species of perennial plants that are found in meadows, woodlands, and at higher altitudes throughout the Northern Hemisphere, known for the spurred petals Pu ...
'' and other several other species.
The grounds of the house were particularly rich in
fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...
s,
mosses,
liverwort
The Marchantiophyta () are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of ...
s, and
lichens. The lichens grow in profusion on the old walls, slate roofing tiles and tree bark, especially of the older specimen trees, such as the
pedunculate oak
''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus. It is widel ...
(''Quercus robur''),
sessile oak
''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Cornish oak, Irish Oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an unofficial embl ...
(''Quercus petraea''),
horse-chestnuts and the
copper beeches (''Fagus sylvatica cuprea''). ''
Xanthoria parietina
''Xanthoria parietina'' is a foliose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It has wide distribution, and many common names such as common orange lichen, yellow scale, maritime sunburst lichen and shore lichen. It can be found near the shore on ...
'' was a common lichen growth on the boiler house tiles. The
giant sequoia
''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (giant sequoia; also known as giant redwood, Sierra redwood, Sierran redwood, California big tree, Wellingtonia or simply big treea nickname also used by John Muir) is the sole living species in the genus ''Sequoiade ...
(''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') has many small depressions in its bark made by
treecreeper
The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains eleven species in two genera, '' Certhia'' and '' Salpornis''. Their plumage ...
s.
A feature of the garden running down from the verandah is the New Zealand cabbage trees (''
Cordyline australis
''Cordyline australis'', commonly known as the cabbage tree, tī kōuka or cabbage-palm, is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand.
It grows up to tall with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of ...
'') growing to the left hand side when facing. These can be seen in the 1825 drawing and although the main growth was killed off by severe winters, new growths always appeared. Old
wisteria
''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), that includes ten species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and north ...
trees are a feature of the verandah, together with
passion flower
''Passiflora'', known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 550 species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae.
They are mostly tendril-bearing vines, with some being shrubs or trees. The ...
s and
banksia
''Banksia'' is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes, and fruiting "cones" and heads. ''Banksias'' range ...
roses.
The grounds had many fine trees, and in addition to those already mentioned, there were Monterey cypress (''
Cupressus macrocarpa''),
common yew
''Taxus baccata'' is a species of evergreen tree in the family Taxaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe (including Britain and Ireland), northwest Africa, northern Iran, and southwest Asia.Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain ...
(''Taxus baccata''), ''
Laburnum
''Laburnum'', sometimes called golden chain or golden rain, is a genus of two species of small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are '' Laburnum anagyroides''—common laburnum and '' Laburnum alpinum'' ...
'',
Turkey oak Turkey oak is a common name for several species of oaks and may refer to:
*''Quercus cerris'', native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor
*''Quercus laevis
''Quercus laevis'', the turkey oak, is a member of the red oak group of oaks. It is n ...
s (''Quercus cerris''), black poplar,
strawberry tree,
elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North ...
s (''Ulmus'' spp.) and
holm oaks (''Quercus ilex''). The
knopper gall
''Andricus quercuscalicis'' is a gall wasp species inducing knopper galls.
Knopper galls develop as a chemically induced distortion of growing acorns on pedunculate oak (''Quercus robur'' L.) trees, caused by gall wasps, which lay eggs in buds w ...
grows from a distortion of the growing acorn, greatly reducing the fecundity of the oak host. It has a two phase life-cycle that requires both pedunculate oak and Turkey oak. Woodway gardens have this species and Woodway House was one of the first places in Devon to record both life-cycle stages of this invading insect. The insect concerned (''
Andricus quercuscalicis
''Andricus quercuscalicis'' is a gall wasp species inducing knopper galls.
Knopper galls develop as a chemically induced distortion of growing acorns on pedunculate oak (''Quercus robur'' L.) trees, caused by gall wasps, which lay eggs in buds w ...
'') came from the continent to Devon via the Channel Islands. Large numbers of knopper galls were sent from Woodway for research purposes in the late 1970s when the infestation first struck (Griffith 2006). A feature of the old hedge forming a boundary by the garage was the
pennywort (''Umbilicus rupestris'') a typical plant of Devon country lanes. The winter heliotrope is a distinctive weed species and lady's smock is an early spring flower.
Insects were abundant, particularly butterflies such as the
red admiral,
peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...
, fritillary, cabbage white and large "
hawking
Hawking may refer to:
People
* Stephen Hawking (1942–2018), English theoretical physicist and cosmologist
* Hawking (surname), a family name (including a list of other persons with the name)
Film
* ''Hawking'' (2004 film), about Stephen Ha ...
" species of dragonflies, such as the
common hawker (''Aeshna juncea''). This last species was common in the area of the old duck pond. Wasp nests were a common occurrence in the old hedge walls and both
red ant
Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus ''Solenopsis'', which includes over 200 species. ''Solenopsis'' are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the na ...
s and black ants were to be found under stones beside the pathways. Mammals included hedgehogs, shrews, mice and
pipistrelle
''Pipistrellus'' is a genus of bats in the family Vespertilionidae and subfamily Vespertilioninae. The name of the genus is derived from the Italian word , meaning "bat" (from Latin "bird of evening, bat").
The size of the genus has been cons ...
bats, which were common, as were
grey squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel (''Sciurus carolinensis''), also known, particularly outside of North America, as simply the grey squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus''. It is native to eastern North America, where it is the most prodi ...
s. Amphibian species were frogs and toads in wetter places such as the old pampas on the front lawn.
The
Monterey pine
''Pinus radiata'' ( syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California and Mexico ( Guadalupe Island and Cedros island). It is an evergreen conifer in the f ...
s were for many years the site of a
rookery
A rookery is a colony of breeding animals, generally gregarious birds.
Coming from the nesting habits of rooks, the term is used for corvids and the breeding grounds of colony-forming seabirds, marine mammals ( true seals and sea lions), and ...
. A number of robin territories were present in the garden; the breeding season boundaries plotted using red wool "male substitutes" with careful observation of the defending males. Thrush "anvils" were mostly present on larger stones bordering the front drive and starlings were a frequent visitor to the raspberry beds and to the thatch, stealing straw for their nests. This necessitated the use of chicken-wire to protect the thatch. Wrens were common, often lining their nests with the fur from the family pet, a long haired silver Persian cat. Blackbirds are common and
redwing
The redwing (''Turdus iliacus'') is a bird in the thrush family, Turdidae, native to Europe and the Palearctic, slightly smaller than the related song thrush.
Taxonomy and systematics
This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in h ...
s are an occasional visitor.
The Woodway ghosts
When the Griffith family moved in, a helper commented on the "pretty young ladies in old fashioned dresses" in the attic rooms. These were the bedrooms of the Spratt sisters at one time and it seems they never wanted to leave their beloved Woodway. At a later stage one of these rooms housed a large railway set and for some reason the short distance up this last flight of stairs always seemed particularly spooky
[Griffith, Roger (2006). Personal recollections.] to young Roger Griffith, its builder.
An old relative (Mrs. Wilson) had a main bedroom at the front of the house and frequently commented on the Victorian gentleman who walked into her room through the door beside her bed. No door existed here and the matter was dismissed, however when the room was redecorated a door was found to have existed at the position indicated. The bedroom next door had been a room where the family prepared themselves before coming into the morning room to greet guests.
A more recent ghost is said to be that of Gordon Griffith, who had shared this room with his brother. He died when only 12 years old in May 1963. The same old lady (Gordon's grandmother) would say that Gordon would often come and sit beside her bed, keeping her company in the mornings as she read her paper. Mrs Wilson has also been seen sitting in a chair beside the fireplace in what was her room for many years.
1851 Census and other records of occupancy
In the
1851 Census
The United Kingdom Census of 1851 recorded the people residing in every household on the night of Sunday 30 March 1851, and was the second of the UK censuses to include details of household members. However, this census added considerably to the f ...
,
[The 1851 British Census, a Family History Resource File. HMSO 1997.] Woodway Cottage was occupied by James, now aged 80, his wife Jane, née Brimage, aged 56, Louisa aged 32, Jane aged 30, Margaret and Leah, twins, aged 20, Isabella aged 16 and James's grandson, Edward, aged 5. The daughters are all unmarried. Thomas's son Edward is living here, his father having returned to sea after being on sick-leave at Teignmouth in 1848, 1849 and early 1850. Sophia, Thomas's wife is not recorded as living here, presumably giving birth to Edward in Malta in 1850. Under a separate household, still headed by James, is his sister-in-law Leah Brimage, surprisingly titled the "House Proprietor" aged 52 and unmarried, together with Harriet Wise a "housemaid" and Charlotte Webber a "Maid of All Work". Maybe the term "House Keeper" was intended as she is grouped with the servants. John Brimage, a retired farmer and probably Jane's older brother has moved to Holcombe, where he is recorded as living as a widow with his daughter or possibly granddaughter Jane, aged 30 in 1851. This "well to do" family had a governess, five children and six farm laborers working a farm.
By 1881 James and his wife have died and the family have moved to Melita, a house further up Woodway Road, near the old Woodway Nursery and opposite Luchana. Melita is the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
name for Malta. It is not clear what the connection with Thomas Spratt is, however Jane and Isabella Spratt are living here as unmarried sisters, together with their married sister Margaret and her husband Richard T. Langley. Thomas may have purchased this property as he ceased going to sea in 1863 and had a number of land based duties, although he had a house in Sudbury, where he died in 1888. Woodway Cottage is occupied in 1881 by an American family from New York State, named Boyd. They have a German governess and three servants in residence. A Boyd Road is the name of a new road in a housing estate nearby.
The street directory lists a Woodway, a Woodway Cottage and a Wodeway. A Miss Spratt is at Woodway Cottage in 1866, however a Mrs. Butler is given for 1869. In 1873 a James Pitt Pitts is listed and in 1882 a Vice-Admiral Barnard. The first record of the Whalleys appears for 1888, with Colonel, Mrs. and family. In 1889 Whalley, Lieut.-Col., Percy Charles R.A. as at Wodewaye and the name is kept as Wodewaye from this point until the 1950s.
Thatching the Cottage orne
Thatch requires a fair degree of maintenance, with various birds, such as the rooks and seagulls, stealing thatch to build their nests. The damage could be visually and physically significant, leading to leaks and rapid decay. Attempts to scare the seagulls away using a rifle and 'dum-dum' bullets were rather too dangerous and the only effective solution was to cover the thatch with chicken wire where it was most susceptible. Laying thatch is a very specialized craft and fortunately Devon still has a number of thatchers. The pitch of the roof is one critical feature of a thatched building, essentially having to be steep enough to ensure the rapid runoff of water without pools forming. Special and expensive insurance is required and this has led to a number of buildings being slated or covered with corrugated iron to reduce costs but at the expense of the outward appeal of the building.
1951 sale
The then owner, Lt.,-Col.P.R. Whalley, D.S.O., put Wodewaye up for sale by Waycotts on Tuesday, 19 June 1951 at 3p.m. at the Queen's Hotel, Torquay. It was the first time this listed building had been on the market for 65 years. Wodeaye is described as 'The Intriguing Freehold Cottage Residence known as Wodewaye, Woodway Road. It is described as Gothic with a thatched roof, with two other parts of different ages. A garage built of
asbestos is described, but this was later demolished by Mr. Griffith and a concrete double garage built to replace it. The sale catalogue confirms that the 'school wing' was added after the construction of the 'Cottage Orne'. The front porch is referred to as a 'Conservatory Entrance' with a hall leading from here to a double lounge or Morning Room.
The setting is said to be remarkable, enjoying perfect seclusion in the middle of centuries old gardens with orchards, shrubberies, Scots fir, macrocarpa, a grand Wellingtonia and a magnificent flowering chestnut. An asparagus bed is specifically highlighted. The land amounted to one and a quarter acres.
Micro history
Knowle Cottage was a ''cottage ornée'' in a similar style to Woodway House, built in
Sidmouth
Sidmouth () is a town on the English Channel in Devon, South West England, southeast of Exeter. With a population of 12,569 in 2011, it is a tourist resort and a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. A large part of the town h ...
by Lord Le Despencer in about 1820.
[Girouard, Mark (1978), ''Life in the English Country House. A Social and Architectural History.'' Pub. Book Club Associates, London. p. 228.]
A large collection of old clay pipes stalks and bowls found in the rear vegetable gardens built up over the years. They were cheap and disposable, so this is not surprising. Many children must have lived at the house judging from the numerous clay toys, such as dogs, miniature tea sets, clay dolls, etc. that have been found. These finds were mostly in the vegetable garden and the field at the back of the property. They were transported there with the horse manure, the '
night soil
Night soil is a historically used euphemism for human excreta collected from cesspools, privies, pail closets, pit latrines, privy middens, septic tanks, etc. This material was removed from the immediate area, usually at night, by workers em ...
' from the occupants of the house being added to the midden at the stable before being used as fertilizer. Small items of household rubbish were often added to the 'night soil'. Much of this collection is now held by Teignmouth Museum.
A young Gordon Griffith dropped a significant number of silver items of cutlery down the well in the late 1950s, so that he could hear the 'plop' sound as they hit the water. The well was covered with a large sandstone slab in those days, with a small hole at the front leading edge.
Commander Whalley's old sea chest is entailed with the house as a memorial to the Whalley family.
A ropewalk is shown on an 1842 map of Teignmouth, running parallel to the road from near Barn Park House, passed Trafalgar Cottage to end opposite East Cliff House.
A number of Trafalgar veterans settled down in East Teignmouth, with Trafalgar Cottage, James Spratt's first home, below Gorway, Robert Young at Minadab, only a short distance away, and Henry Bellairs of HMS Spartiate at Cliffden.
Window tax
Window tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house. It was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, France, and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries. To avoid the tax, some houses from the p ...
was first levied in England in 1696 to offset the expenses of making up the gold and silver deficiency in the
re-coinage of William III reign caused by clipping and filing of coins. It was set at two shillings for small tenements, six shillings for buildings with up to ten windows and ten shillings for those with twenty windows. Cottages were exempt.
[Palermo, Raymond (2001). Coin News. July. pp. 24–25. .] To encourage the handing in of coins the authorities had decided to accept coins at their face value and not their weight.
It was based on the number of windows in a house and large mansions often had many existing windows blocked up, such as a whole side of
Loudoun Castle, in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was repealed in 1851 and replaced by a tax on inhabited houses.
[* Encyclopædia Britannica (1953). Vol.23. Pub. London.]
Minadab at Holcombe is another
Strawberry Hill style cottage, but of altogether a more eccentric construction. It was built in 1820 by Robert Benjamin Young, born in 1773. He was one of Admiral
Lord Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought a ...
's captains and he built his cottage to resemble a ship as much as possible, the east side being the fore end and the west side the after end. The upper floor was reached by means of a rope ladder. It has a round cellar with places for storing casks of rum. Young was a lieutenant in 1795 on the Bonne Citoyenne at the
Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797 and he was in command of the frigate cutter
Entreprenant in 1804 and fought on her at Trafalgar and later at the blockade of Brest.
[Warner, Oliver (1965). Nelson's Battles. Pub. Newton Abbot. .] The Minidab was a French ship, but the significance of the ship is not known.
Cob is a carefully blended mixture of wet earth, containing enough lime to enable it to set hard. Also added are chopped reeds or straw, animal dung, sand, gravel and small stones as ballast. Cob walls are seldom less than two and as much as four feet thick. These were built up in layers of about six to twelve inches thick and each had to set before the next was added. A two-story building could take anything up to two years to finish. The building up was done by eye, leading to the classic rounded and undulating appearance of cob walls.
Old Cotmaton Cottage in Sidmouth is another example of a 'Strawberry Hill' romantic gothic-style construction.
References
External links
Thomas Spratt at TrafalgarTrafalgar Wood, Spratt and HMS Defiance.The Life of Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt.The Life of Horace Walpole.The Teignmouth Harbour Commission.The 1860 OS map*
ttp://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/26174 J. K. Laughton on Spratt, James. accessed : 2009-05-09British Listed Buildings. Accessed : 2010-09-15British Listed Buildings. Accessed : 2010-09-15
{{coord, 50, 33, 15.2, N, 3, 29, 33.9, W, display=title
Country houses in Devon
Houses completed in 1815
Grade II listed buildings in Devon
Cottage orné
Teignmouth
Thatched buildings in England