Kennaway House is an early-19th-century house, situated at Coburg Road, Sidmouth, East Devon, which was formerly known as Fort House and Church House. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Fort House was built about 1805 and soon came into the ownership of the Kennaway family of Escot House near Ottery St Mary. The Kennaways resettled at Escot after 1838. By the end of the 19th century the house was in use as a lodging house. R.A. Wood bought it in 1905 and on 6 July 1906 the house was transferred by deed to Church House Trust. Although not legally connected to the neighbouring Church of St. Giles & St. Nicholas, the building’s name was changed from Fort House to Church House and the Trustees were given the express duty of using the house:
“for such purposes only as Church House may properly be used. For.. promoting…any work in support of or for the benefit or in connection with the Church of England including Home and Foreign Missions or for Sunday schools, Bible Classes, Church Lads Brigade, Lectures, Mothers’ Meetings, Sacred Concerts, Choir Practices, Parish Clubs or Societies.”
The same deeds also specifically prohibited certain activities deemed unsuitable: “not dancing or such like and not antagonistic to or inconsistent with the continuance of well-being of the Church of England..”
The house gradually fell into disrepair and in 2001 efforts to raise funds for restoration were launched. National Lottery funding was obtained in 2007 and restoration work began in 2008. The house has been renamed Kennaway House and reopened in June 2009 as a community facility and exhibition space. It is licensed for civil weddings and partnerships.
It now houses the Kennaway Fine Art Guild and exhibits its artists work on a regular basis.