The Church House Inn in Holne is one of Dartmoor’s most historic and welcoming pubs. Originally thought to have been built in 1329 as a Devon Longhouse, it first served as accommodation for the stonemasons who were building the adjacent parish church. In the 1400s it became a retreat for clergy and monks from Buckfast Abbey, and an upper floor was added to provide board and lodgings — and, of course, ales — for themselves. From its earliest days the building has been closely tied to the life of the village and its church.
The inn is aligned north-south and has a rectangular three-room plan. Several phases of construction can be traced in its fabric. The earliest phase included a solar at the south end, divided from the central lobby by a stud and panel screen, with a large hearth in the east wall. The kitchen lay beyond at a slightly higher level. Later phases saw the reconstruction of walls, the addition of a two-storey porch, and the creation of a snug around the eastern hearth. The porch is unusual in Devon, with its timber and plaster upper chamber, and the small room above it is known locally as the parberry. Further extensions were added in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, including a staircase with turned balusters and the replacement of the roof. In the twentieth century, new timber windows with leaded panes were installed, and further accretions were added at the rear.
Inside, the inn retains a wealth of historic detail. The main room has a beautiful internal oak screen fitted around 1530, and across the ceiling are three large oak beams with close-set moulded joists. A long curved bench-seat made of elm was added in the eighteenth century. This room is now known as the Kingsley Room, after the author Charles Kingsley, who was born at the nearby vicarage. The original fireplace survives, with a chamfered oak lintel and granite jambs, though later partitions and settles have altered its appearance. The north screen has wide planks and muntins with bead moulding, while the south screen may survive behind later partitions. The building has been modernised in places, but much of its medieval character remains intact.
The inn has gathered stories as well as architectural layers. It is said that Oliver Cromwell stayed here during the Civil War, stabling his horse in the village. If you look up through the rafters in the stable bar you can see a door that he supposedly used as an escape route. He certainly was involved in fighting nearby but as to why he had to escape at short notice is not entirely clear... he arrived alongside General Fairfax at the head of a large and victorious army. The main bar screen is reputed to date back to the time of the Armada, adding another layer of legend to the building’s long history.
The Church House Inn, its gardens, the meadow known as Play Park, and Stares-Nest Cottage and orchard were once vested in trustees, with the income devoted to church purposes. The present inn, standing in the north-east corner of the churchyard, is the descendant of the original church house, modernised and enlarged but still retaining its medieval core. It is a moderately large rectangular building of two storeys, with a central two-stage gabled porch and a prominent chimney breast. Church houses with porches are rare in Devon, making Holne’s example particularly significant.
The Church House Inn is a living piece of Holne’s history. From its origins as a longhouse for stonemasons, through its time as a monastic retreat, to its present role as a village inn, it has adapted to changing needs while retaining its character. Sitting inside, with the old beams above and the snug corners around you, it is easy to imagine the generations who have gathered here before, sharing food, drink, and stories in the heart of Dartmoor.
