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Bowhill
Bowhill is a late medieval country house of national importance situated in the parish of St Thomas, Exeter.

Boasting a Great Hall and Great Chamber, this atmospheric Grade 1 Listed property is considered to be of outstanding historic and architectural interest.

History

The name Bowhill, meaning ‘curved hill’, was first recorded in 1249 but the surviving house dates from c 1500. The site has been owned by two important county families; the Hollands in the 15th Century, passing (by marriage) to the Carew family in the early 16th Century. It remained in their ownership until the 1930’s. The site was fortified during the Civil War (1642 - 1651) and significant alterations were carried out c 1800 when the building was used as a nursery. By the 1950’s the site was engulfed with suburban development and was purchased by the Department of the Environment in 1976. There followed a 20 year programme of restoration by English Heritage and Bowhill has been used as offices since then.

Character

The surviving plan of Bowhill comprises 3 ranges set around a central courtyard. Architecturally Bowhill is notable for its ornate roofs and carpentry. It belongs to a group of six ornate late medieval roofs characteristic of the Exeter area. Bowhill is distinctive, as a house of this status for employing earth building materials, often considered vernacular.

An Exemplar of Conservation

Bowhill’s history of adaptations and changes span 500 years. Protecting such a building raises challenges such as: does one era have importance over another, is the story of the building’s evolution over time more important, should new interventions be honest and expressed. The conservation approach taken by English Heritage changed from their original intent to recreate Bowhill as a late medieval country house to an ethos of minimal intervention. Bowhill offers a fascinating essay on safeguarding important historic buildings with its well documented exploration of the different conservation philosophies used.

Present

The RIBA chartered practice Harris McMillan architecture + design acquired the building in 2004 for their permanent office.