The Chapel House
Palace Gate | Exeter | Devon EX1 1JA
The Chapel House
The present owner was reading the ‘Devon Life’ magazine when he
noticed an article on the creation of a Grade II house, from an old
convent and school in Palace Gate, close to Exeter’s St Peter’s Cathedral.
His curiosity roused, he and his wife investigated and discovered that
Chapel House was a unique and stunning development in a perfect
location. Within the garden walls and house it was a quiet sanctuary but
was only a minute to the bustling High Street or the cathedral.
Chapel House has many distinctive features that blend seamlessly with
the comforts of twenty first century living and the charm of each room is
enhanced by the fascination that it previously had a religious or secular
purpose. There is a wide choice of living rooms on the first floor and the
main area is the chapel that is now the living and dining room, where the
glorious triple height vaulted ceiling soars above you creating a
marvellous sense of space. The light pours in through the stained glass
windows, and in the early evening catches the setting sun, sending gentle
golden bands of light across the room which feels quite magical. What
was the altar is now the dining area and a cloakroom occupies the
original sanctuary. This is an exciting and hospitable house that has been
the setting for many happy occasions. One memorable event was a
Christmas party when some of the cathedral choristers entertained and
from the minstrel’s gallery, a soloist sang ‘The Coventry Carol,’ a spine
tingling moment. The kitchen, previously the vestry and still with the
piscina, is another light filled room where it is pleasant to sit over
breakfast and look across the rooftops.
The ground floor bedrooms are off the wide hallway that has attractive
parquet flooring. The en suite master bedroom overlooks the garden and
entertaining is eased by a second en suite bedroom plus a family shower
room for the remaining bedrooms. Storage is never a problem as the
racked cellar stretches the width of the house and the luxury of so much
space throughout the house is one of its main qualities. The private
courtyard garden is an oasis of tranquillity and the communal gardens
where the owners have held summer events are lawned and peaceful
despite it being only a minute to the town.
Exeter is an exciting historic and cultural city with superb schools, rail and
road links. It is also an excellent point from which to explore the lovely
Devon countryside. The owners are going to miss the space, location and
enchantment of life in Chapel House. *
* These comments are the personal views of the current owners and are included as an insight
into life at the property. They have not been independently verified, should not be relied on
without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent.”
Situation
The Chapel House is in Palace Gate, adjacent to
Bishop’s Palace Gate House, and close to Exeter’s St
Peter’s Cathedral. This historic corner of Exeter is one
of the most sought-after addresses in the City. It
offers a quiet and secure location, within short walking
distance of all of the amenities that Exeter’s stylish and
modern City Centre can offer. These include The
Cathedral School, Princesshay Shopping Centre, the
boutique shops of Gandy Street, and Exeter’s historic
Quayside, rail links from both Exeter Central and St
David’s stations, with local networks as well as links to
London Paddington via Reading (For Gatwick
Airport), and Waterloo via Salisbury, Woking (London
Airport). Rail networks to the north include Bristol,
Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and
to the west, Plymouth (Brittany Ferries to France,
Spain and Ireland), and Penzance (Scilly Isles). Regular
train services also run to the south, where you find
Topsham, Lympstone, Exe Estuary (for watersports),
and Exmouth (Jurassic Coast and beaches). Exeter
Bus & Coach Station provides a good local service,
both County and Country wide, and is approximately
10 minutes walking distance.
The property is also well placed with the M5
Motorway, and A30, approximately 3 miles away, and
Exeter International Airport is approximately a 20
minute drive, which provides UK flights to places such
as Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast etc, as well
as to many parts of Europe.
today one can still see places of worship for Baptist,
Methodist, United Reformed (now Georges Meeting
House), Roman Catholic, and Anglican congregations.
Interestingly one of Exeter’s oldest businesses also
used to be sited here – Kennaway & Co, one of
England’s oldest Vintners.
One of the seven gates around the Cathedral Yard,
The Bishop’s Palace, had its own large 14th Century
stone inner gate house, which is today called Palace
Gate House. The Bishop’s Palace and gardens are
through this archway, and can now only be visited
when accompanied by one of Exeter’s famous Red
Coat guides.
History
At the end of the 19th Century, fear of a civil war and
the dispersion of religious orders in France, forced the
Sisters to look at England as a safety net for the
congregation. At the invitation of the Basilian Fathers,
they came to Exeter, and in 1896 established the first
permanent foundation at Palace Gate, where they
opened their school. In September of that year, the
school numbered just 5 pupils. Until 1929 Sisters
from France, Canada, and USA, staffed the school,
which catered for girls aged five to fourteen, and boys
from five to seven. In 1927, ground for the gymnasium
and chapel, now the Chapel House, was cleared, and
in 1928 work was completed. The school thrived and
grew throughout its hundred year history, and had, at
one stage, over 300 pupils, before closing in 1996.
The gated development, of which The Chapel House
forms a part, was created in 1999 from the Convent
and School occupied for over 100 years by the Sisters
of the Presentation of Mary, and lies adjacent to The
Bishop’s Gate.
Historically, this area had one of the highest
concentrations of religious institutions in Exeter, and
Description
The Chapel House forms part of an exclusive quiet,
secure and gated, development, created in 1999, to
the specification of its current owners. It offers many
features not found in any other private residence in
Exeter, from its stunning open plan living room and
dining room created from the original Chapel, with its
leaded windows and triple height ceiling, to the
beautifully landscaped communal gardens, which
extend to over half an acre, and include part of
Exeter’s historic Roman Wall. The building is Grade II
Listed, and at the time of its conversion, English
Heritage commented that the original building echoed
the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the celebrated
Scottish architect, designer, and artist.
The property has been converted in such a way as
to retain and accentuate the building’s history, without
compromising on the accommodation and features
that current day homeowners expect. One example
is the pressurised hot water system that services the
property’s three bathrooms and two WC’s with mains
pressure hot water.
A floor plan is included in these details, though a more
detailed description of the accommodation follows:
Steps lead up from the courtyard to the front door,
which opens into the entrance lobby. Steps take you
up into the ground floor hallway. All of the bedrooms
and family shower room are found off this hallway.
Stairs lead down to the rear of the property and the
door, which opens onto the rear garden. The very
useful “gardeners” loo is tucked away here under the
staircase that rises to the first floor.
The master bedroom suite looks out over the garden
and has its own dressing room and en-suite bath &
shower room. The guest bedroom also has its own
bath and en-suite facilities, whilst the two further
bedrooms share the family shower room.
Storage is something that is not in short supply. The
cellar, located down a short flight of steps from the
ground floor, houses the pressurised hot water
system, and twin gas boilers, as well as plenty of
storage. If the cellar does not provide enough space,
there is a large undercroft, which can be accessed by
its own door close to the rear door.
historical artefact is the piscine, originally used to
dispose of communion wine, which can be found in
one corner of the kitchen. The kitchen has been fitted
to a high standard, with a range of matching cabinetry
and appliances.
A grand returning staircase leads up to the first floor.
It is here that one finds the open plan living and dining
room converted from the former chapel. More often
found in loft-style warehouse conversions, this is a
truly stunning space, with triple height vaulted ceilings.
What you do not find in a loft are leaded windows,
wood panelling, historic pivoted stained glass screens,
and parquet flooring. Set just off the dining area,
which occupies what was the original sanctuary, is a
cloakroom.
Set just off the cross passage, down a short flight of
steps, is the study, which looks out to the courtyard
and beyond to the Cathedral School.
The original vestry is now a kitchen/breakfast room,
with a separate utility room in what was previously a
cross passage used by the Sisters. An interesting
From the first floor, a staircase leads up to a charming
day room/snug. Its minstrels gallery overlooks the
living/dining room, whilst other windows provide
views over rooftops in one direction, and the beautiful
communal gardens and Roman Wall. Overall there is
a feeling of being in Clough William-Ellis’s Portmerion
village in Wales, the setting for the 1960’s cult TV
series The Prisoner.
The Grounds
Immediately to the rear of the house is a private
courtyard garden, which looks out onto the
communal grounds, which are another stunning
feature that makes this property virtually unique in
Exeter.
Extending to over half an acre, the communal gardens
have been landscaped to make the most of their
southerly aspect. There are quiet corners, and wide
open lawns to provide a true urban oasis of calm.
The grounds are bounded on their southern side by
part of Exeter’s Roman Wall, which has a gate,
accessed via a tunnel, that allows residents to leave
the peace and tranquillity of the gardens, and emerge
into Exeter’s bustling urban environment.
To the front of the house is the secure gated
courtyard, where the two allocated secure parking
spaces can be found.
Directorial Note
From the roundabout traffic lights at the bottom of South Street, proceed up South
Street. Turn right into Palace Gate, where the property can be found on the right hand
side just before the gateway to The Bishop’s Palace.
Currently there is a charge of £150 per quarter for the upkeep of the communal garden
& gated forecourt areas of the development, and a further charge of £200 per quarter
for the upkeep of the Roman Wall.
Services
All mains services are connected.
Council Tax Band
The property is rated in the ‘G’ Band.
Local Authority
Exeter City Council, Paris Street, Civic Centre, Exeter EX1 1JJ. Telephone: 01392 265104.
Viewing
Strictly by appointment through the selling agents,
Fine & Country, on 01392 349349.
Agents Notes: All measurements are approximate and quoted in metric with imperial equivalents and for general guidance only
and whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, they must not be relied on. The fixtures, fittings and appliances referred to have not been tested and therefore no guarantee can be given that they are in working order. Internal photographs
are reproduced for general information and it must not be inferred that any item shown is included with the property. For a free
valuation, contact the numbers listed on the brochure. Printed 11..01.12
Games at Palace Gate in the 1950’s
Tel 01392 349349
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