Church House, South Tawton
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The Church House is a building in South Tawton in Devon, England . It is a small and robust late 15th - early 16th century building constructed of granite with a thatched roof. It lies just inside the northern edge of the Dartmoor National Park, at the heart of the village of South Tawton, and is a Grade II Listed historic building, in a Conservation Area, with the church of Saint Andrew rising dramatically behind it. The proximity of the building to this Grade 1 church, in the centre of the village, is a significant attraction for visitors to the area.
Church House is an outstanding example of a special type of medieval community building. The community of the Parish of South Tawton has used Church House for over 500 years and remarkably it is still owned by the Incumbent and Church Wardens, as Trustees on behalf of the Parish and is run by the Church House Management Committee. Local documentary evidence (which begins in 1524) has produced data about the history of farming, land management and the evolution of the distinct group of community buildings called "Church Houses" during the Reformation; a period of major importance in national history.
A special feature is the roof structure, which preserves cruck trusses and rare smoke-blackened thatch. Currently the building is used for Junior Church, Scout meetings, social events in connection with church occasions (e.g. baptisms and funerals, harvest suppers), painting classes, art exhibitions, committee meetings, and similar activities.
