Powderham
Powderham is located within Teignbridge local authority area. Historically it formed part of Exminster Hundred. It falls within Kenn Deanery for ecclesiastical purposes. The Deaneries are used to arrange the typescript Church Notes of B.F.Cresswell which are held in the Westcountry Studies Library. The population was 175 in 1801 238 in 1901 . Figures for other years are available on the local studies website. In 1641/2 68 adult males signed the Protestation returns.
A parish history file is held in Dawlish Library. You can look for other material on the community by using the place search on the main local studies database. Further historical information is also available on the Genuki website.
On the County Series Ordnance Survey mapping the area is to be found on 1:2,500 sheet 92/12 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 92SE
The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is SX972844. On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet SX98SE, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Explorer 031, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 192. Geological sheet 339 also covers the area.
Illustrations: The image below is of Powderham as included in the Library's illustrations collection. Other images can be searched for on the local studies catalogue.
Extract from Devon by W.G.Hoskins (1954), included by kind permission of the copyright holder:
POWDERHAM consists of little more than the red sandstone church, familiar to all who travel on the Great Western Railway beyond Exeter, and the castle and park of the Earl of Devon. The church (St. Clement) is entirely a 15th century building with the usual Beer stone arcades. Margaret Courtenay says in her will (1487) that she and her husband had made the new aisle and the body of the church at their own cost "except that I had of the parish to the help of the said building 8d."(Cresswell, Churches of the Deanery of Kenn, 131) They were both buried here, almost certainly under a fine tomb as the builders of the church; but not a single Courtenay monument remains to-day except that of Elizabeth, Countess of Devon (1867), hidden behind the organ.
On the N. side of the chancel is the cenotaph of a lady who is probably Elizabeth de Bohun, daughter of Edward I, and mother of Margaret de Bohun who married Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon. Powderham then belonged to the Bohuns and Margaret brought it with her as her marriage portion. By her will dated 1390 she bequeathed it to her fourth son, Sir Philip Courtenay. So began the long line of the Courtenays of Powderham, who are still there, though Powderham did not become their principal home until after the attainder of Henry Courtenay, Marquess of Exeter, and the forfeiture of all his lands to the crown in 1539.
Sir Philip Courtenay, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1406), began the building of Powderham. There is no evidence that a castle existed here before his time.
Sir Philip Courtenay's building must be regarded as a strongly fortified manor house (like Compton Castle in Marldon) rather than as a true castle, but the site was much stronger than appears to-day as one steams by the placid and almost level park, catching a fleeting glimpse of the battlemented towers of the castle between the trees. Until the late 18th century the Exe spread its waters almost to the E. walls of the castle, and its tributary the Kenn almost washed the S. walls.
The original building comprised a hall, kitchen, and other offices, strengthened by four angle-towers and an entrance tower facing the Exe. This building can still be traced, though swamped by later alterations. Leland describes Powderham as a strong castle, with a bulwark or barbican to protect the haven here. This would be the small harbour of Kenton. By the attainder of Henry, Marquess of Exeter, all the great estates of the elder branch of the Courtenays were lost for ever. Though Edward Courtenay, son of the Marquess, was recreated Earl of Devon by Mary in 1553, the family did not recover their ancient honours and castles; and from this date onwards Powderham became their principal residence.
In the Civil War, Powderham was garrisoned for the king. Fairfax, in the final campaign in the west, sent a party to attack it on 14 December 1645. Meeting with unexpectedly strong resistance they fell back and took possession of Powderham church, which was then attacked by a royalist detachment from Exeter, during which hand grenades were thrown into the church. No doubt the Courtenay monuments suffered severely on that occasion. The next day Sir Hardress Waller relieved the parliamentary garrison in the church. The castle surrendered a few weeks later (25 January 1646).
In the 18th century the medieval house was transformed by a series of large-scale alterations, beginning in 1717 when the chapel was built, together with the library above. The major reconstruction took place when the 2nd Viscount Courtenay succeeded to the estates, particularly between 1770 and 1788. The great hall was divided into two parts, one of which was transformed by the insertion of a grand staircase. The park was improved by the making of an embankment along the Exe estuary, and extensively planted with fine trees, and the Belvedere was built (1773) on the ridge NW. of the castle.
Other internal changes were made under the direction of James Wyatt, and a further extensive remodelling of the whole building was carried out by the 10th earl, who ruled from 1835 to 1859. Among other changes he rebuilt the W. front (except the centre tower) and made it the principal entrance, instead of the E. front as hitherto. The latter now (after 1846) faced the South Devon Railway and the fine river view had been shut off. Thus Powderham is to- day a house of the period 1760-1860, with a medieval core (plate 31). (This account of the structural history of Powderham Castle is based on Trans. Exeter Dioecan Archit. Soc., Second Series, (1867), I, 170-83; Archaeological Journal 70 (1913), 531-2; and Polwhele, ii, 158, 169-70.)
Among the pictures at Powderham are a full-length of the Duchess of Suffolk, attributed to Holbein; General Monk by J. M. Wright; Lady Honeywood and her son by Sir Joshua Reynolds; Lady Frances Courtenay by Hudson; the 2nd viscount with his wife and family by Hudson; and some full-size portraits by Cosway of the 9th earl and six of his sisters. There is also a fine portrait of Louis XVI, attributed to Gallet. A history of the Courtenays, the most eminent and distinguished family in Devon, is in course of preparation. The present earl, the 17th from the re-creation of 1553, resides at Powderham.
