History & Construction
Origins
The present house was built (or rebuilt on the site of an earlier dwelling) in 1835–1836 in a neo-Tudor/Tudor Gothic style. It was designed by architect George H. Smith for Rev. Richard Stephens, sub-dean of Exeter and vicar of Dunsford. Some contemporary accounts describe it as being in the “irregular Tuscan order,” but modern sources consistently identify it as an early example of neo-Tudor.
The Waterhouse Extension
In the 1870s (specifically 1875, with plans dated by the architect), the house was substantially extended and altered for the new owner Edward Byrom by the prominent Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse. This is believed to be Waterhouse’s only known work in Devon. He also designed the associated stables and coach house. The extension was deliberately sympathetic to the original design, matching materials, string courses, plinths, and fenestration patterns. A planned spectacular tower over the dairy was never built.
Notable External Features
- Balustrading and terrace steps (south and east) salvaged from the old Exe Bridge in Exeter, built 1776.
- Asymmetrical east (entrance) elevation with seven gables, ornamental bargeboards, stone mullioned windows (some with 4-centred arches), and a corbelled oriel window.
- Garden (west) elevation with gabled projections, a two-storey bay window, and a single-storey dairy added by Waterhouse.
- Materials: dressed volcanic trap stone with freestone dressings; slate roofs; tall brick clustered octagonal chimney shafts.
Listed Status
The house is part of a group of Grade II listed structures on the estate, including the terrace steps and balustrades, stables, lodge, and gate piers and gate at Culver Lodge (granite ashlar, c. 1879).
Interiors
The interiors are well-preserved and include original 1836 elements such as chimney-pieces, joinery, decorated plaster ceilings (one possibly 1870s or later), quatrefoil skirting boards and doorcases, and a fine dog-leg open-well staircase with turned balusters (ceiling painted decoration likely by Waterhouse).
The dining room was refurbished in the 1930s with high-quality 16th-century panelling brought from the demolished Byrom Hall and a splendid Jacobean chimney-piece from the demolished Kersall Hall. The dairy retains its 1875 ornamental tile scheme. Some original stained-glass panels depicting saints from the stair window remain with the owner.
Other Notable Details
The house and grounds have appeared in media, including the 2001 BBC TV series Down to Earth.
Historic artefacts linked to the house include an early 17th-century bishop’s chair now in St Mary’s Church, Dunsford, and an ancient carved oak Spanish chest (used as an altar) in St John’s Church, Holcombe Burnell.
The setting is rural and scenic, surrounded by open countryside, with nearby villages (Longdown with a pub; Dunsford, Christow, and Bridford) offering local amenities. It is convenient for Exeter via the A30 and M5.
Owners & Residents
- 1830s–1860s/70s
- Rev. Richard Stephens (and later his family, including son Richard Bolitho Stephens). In 1851 he lived there with his wife Maria.
- 1870s onward
- Edward Byrom, who commissioned the Waterhouse works.
- Early 20th century
- Lt-Col. Alan George Eden (resident by 1939).
- Later 20th century
- Charles Eden and family.
Architectural Significance
Culver House is a fine example of 19th-century country-house architecture with layered historical interest from its two main building phases. Its Grade II* status reflects its architectural quality and the sympathetic Waterhouse intervention. Publicly available records (Historic England listing, Devon Gardens Trust, local histories) provide the bulk of documented details; much of the interior and private family history remains with the current owners or in archives such as Devon Archives, which holds some 2005 material on the property.