Since September 2002, Brixham Heritage Museum’s Field Research Team (led by Dr. Philip Armitage) has conducted excavations in the grounds of Gramercy Hall School, a private (independently run) school whose classrooms are located in the building once known as Lupton House – the country mansion of Lord Churston.
Built in 1772, Lupton House was sold by Charles Mayne to Sir Francis Buller in 1788. In 1843 the house underwent extensive remodelling, the work carried out by George Wightwick for Sir John Yarde-Buller. Further alterations to this building were made in the 1860s. In 1926 much of the internal features, including panelling and decorated plasterwork, were destroyed in a devastating fire possibly started by an electrical fault. Once again, much of the house had to be rebuilt, but this time without the top storey.
In recognition of its important architectural and historical status, English Heritage designated the house as a grade two star listed monument. Also listed (as grade two) is the outlying complex of ancillary buildings, comprising the stables, coach house, and the kennels used to accommodate hunting hounds.
In September 2002, two of the Gramercy Hall teachers (Mrs. D. Annetts and Mr. R. J. Hall) had expressed a keen interest in setting up a joint museum-school project that would enable their pupils (aged 9 to 12 years) an opportunity of gaining hands-on-experience of archaeological fieldwork. In response, Brixham Heritage Museum curator Dr. Philip L. Armitage organized the Museum’s Field Research Team to visit the school each Wednesday during term time in order to undertake an archaeological investigation in the grounds. Prompted by the evident enthusiasm of the children taking part and encouraged by the quantities and variety of the artefacts being recovered, Dr. Armitage decided to continue into 2003 what was originally intended as a two-month project.
This brief report covers discoveries made up to 23rd May 2003. A more detailed account of the archaeological project will be produced after the fieldwork is completed at the end of 2003.
An initial test trench (2 X 2.5 meters) dug north west of the coach house uncovered a dumped deposit of household refuse dating from the 1850s. Although the school children assisted in excavating this feature when first uncovered, as the digging progressed down to 1.98 meters below present day ground level, it was thought far too hazardous for them to then continue to participate directly even when wearing hard hats as a safety precaution, especially as the trench was overshadowed by a stone wall in a partly ruinous state. The school children did however assist in the sorting and recording of the finds. Under the supervision of Kate Armitage, the pupils classified and counted the potsherds – and from these data produced a profile of the various wares used in the Lupton household (see Diagram). Food waste (animal bones & shellfish) from this deposit provided information on the dietary preferences of the Lupton House inhabitants, indicating a liking for veal, chicken and oysters.
A second trench (6 X 6.5 meters) was opened a short distance west of the first trench, and this immediately revealed a buried ashy layer containing much burnt wood (floor joists, parts of furniture etc), charred clothing, heat shattered ceramic sherds, household electrical switches, light fittings & fuses, and partially melted & distorted glass bottles. Owing to its relatively shallow depth (1.01 meters), the Gramercy Hall School pupils have been able to join in excavating this layer, which appears to be extensive (probably underlying the modern carpark).
Initially, dating this fire debris proved problematical owing to the presence of early 19th-century fine Chinese porcelain, intermixed with early 18th-century delftware, Boer War military artefacts, and two coins (both farthings) dated 1919. Documentary research however provided the answer, indicating the deposit was the destruction debris from the 1926 fire that engulfed and virtually gutted the main house.
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According to contemporary newspaper accounts, the 1926 fire destroyed “art treasures and family heirlooms”. Particularly noted was the loss of Lord Churston’s “valuable collection of old china [sic] and porcelain”. Archaeological evidence of this catastrophic loss is provided by the large quantities of fire-damaged sherds of 17th-century, 18th-century and 19th-century fine Chinese porcelain wares found in the ashy layer. Reconstructed portions of two such Chinese porcelain wares are illustrated below, together with examples of the excavated armorial wares and part of a delftware vase.
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Acc. No. 6525 Chinese porcelain, fluted bowl. Much damaged in the 1926 fire. |
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Acc. No. 6526 Chinese porcelain plate, with two seated figures (one on right has basket of peaches). Much damaged in the 1926 fire. |
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Acc. No. 6521 Sherds of an armorial ware plate made for the Yarde-Buller family by Flight Barr & Barr, Worcester, c. 1830. Yarde-Buller heraldic design with motto: “Aquila non capit muscas” – The eagle does not catch flies |
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Acc. No. 6522 Earlier armorial ware tureen cover made for the Yarde-Buller family by Copeland, c. 1810. |
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Acc. No. 6523 Reconstructed portion of octagonal shaped vase, delftware , c. 1700. |
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Acc. No. 6524 Reconstructed portion of porcelain open basketwork with lion feet, possibly a chestnut basket. |
Among Lord Churston’s personal items thrown away in the fire debris were those associated with his military career (prior to his succession to the baronetcy in 1910, when he was The Honourable John Reginald Lopes Yarde-Buller), as evidenced by the following archaeological artefacts: -
Careful (professional) cleaning of the Boer War medal (carried out by Exeter City Museums Conservation Services) revealed the recipient’s name, rank and regiment: Lt. Hon. John R. L. Yarde-Buller Scots Guards. According to the Scots Guards Regimental Records (Lance Corporal K. Gorman, Scots Guards Archivist, 2003, pers.comm.) this medal had been awarded in 1900 to Lieutenant Yarde-Buller for his war-time services with Mounted Company 2nd Battalion Scots Guards in South Africa.
The fire debris deposit also yielded a second medal, identified as the Member of the Victorian Order presented in 1903 to Yarde-Buller for his services as ADC to the Viceroy of India.
Further excavations at Lupton House during 2004 located a third refuse deposit in the woods behind the house. This refuse deposit appears to represent a post-fire household clearance event and has yielded (among other items) examples of Armorial Ware dinner plates displaying the Yarde-Buller family crest and motto. None of the plates appears to have been affected by the fire but all are broken and incomplete.
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Dinner plate, part of an Armorial dinner service manufactured for the First Baron Churston by Flight, Barr and Barr, Worcester, 1813-1840 |
Dr. Philip L. Armitage wishes to thank Mr. Vernon Duker, the present owner of the Lupton Estate, for permission to excavate and for his generosity in donating the finds to Brixham Heritage Museum.
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