| Cadhay | |
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Cadhay
Cadhay shown within Devon |
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| District | East Devon |
|---|---|
| Shire county | Devon |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | OTTERY ST. MARY |
| Postcode district | EX11 |
| Dialling code | 01404 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | East Devon |
| List of places: UK • England • Devon | |
Cadhay is an Elizabethan manor house situated one mile north-west of Ottery St Mary in Devon, England, 10 miles east of Exeter and 5 miles from the sea at Sidmouth.
The house is built around a central courtyard and stands within extensive grounds. It was built by John Haydon in 1550,[1] who had married an heiress of the de Cadhay family and descendent of Amias Paulet (gaoler for a period of Mary, Queen of Scots). It was erected on the site of an earlier house, although Haydon retained that earlier building's Great Hall, which dates back to 1420. Haydon's nephew Robert subsequently added a long gallery, a feature of late 16th century housebuilding, closing in the south side of the house to form a courtyard. The residents of the Manor House have had a long association with the parish church of Ottery.
John Haydon's nephew Robert built a long gallery, a popular feature in late 16th century house-building, closing in the south side of the house to form a courtyard. By 1737 the house was in a poor state of repair and the new owner, Peere Williams, restored the house in the style of that period. He plastered up most of the Tudor hearths and panelled a number of the rooms. He inserted a lower ceiling in the Great Hall under the magnificent oak-timbered roof to form the current dining room and roof chamber.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the house was at times divided into two and again fell into a poor state of repair. It was bought by Dampier Whetham in 1910 who uncovered the old Tudor hearths and put the house into sound structural condition. He let the house to the William-Powletts in the 1920s, they bought the property in 1935, and members of their family have occupied it since. The William-Powlett family are also descendants of Amias Paulet.
The house has been occupied by the William-Powlett family since the 1920s. In 2002 the house was inherited by a furniture maker nephew, Rupert Thistlethwayte. He has restored it to its previous splendour whilst introducing modern comforts such as heating and additional bathrooms, as well as contemporary furniture of his own to complement the antique furniture. Sir Simon Jenkins in his book of England's Thousand Best Homes described the house thus: “The courtyard ….. with statues of Henry VIII and his three monarch offspring, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth ….. is one of the treasures of Devon.“
There are four statues—of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary and Elizabeth I--which stand over the doors in the courtyard; they were carved in 1617.