Gotham House
Gotham House is a Grade II* listed early 18th century Georgian merchant's townhouse on Phoenix Lane in Tiverton. It was one of a number of buildings constructed in the town following the extensive Tiverton fire of 1731. Several historical items, including documents signed by Oliver Cromwell, have been found in the basement.
Gotham House is a three-story Flemish bond red brick building with a basement, built in the early 18th century by George Davey, a clothing merchant and Mayor of Tiverton. The house has a symmetrical five-bay front facade with four brick columns reaching to the top of the first floor, topped with molded caps and a projecting white cornice. Four more columns extend from the cornice to the roof. The windows have slate stonework below and are topped with arches of rubbed brick in a lighter colour. The house has pilastered doorcases at both the front and rear, and the front facade also has a round-headed outer doorway. The roof is slate with an "M" profile and cast-iron guttering, with chimney stacks at either end constructed of brick with yellow chimney pots.
The interior of Gotham House has a double-depth plan, meaning that it is two rooms wide. The interior retains many 18th-century features, such as a library with period books and manuscripts and an original mahogany staircase. There is also a marble mantelpiece with Corinthian columns and a frieze depicting sphinxes and cherubs. Surviving additions from the 19th century include a pantry and a dumb waiter.
The house and its forecourt walls and entrance gates became listed on 12 February 1952. In 1966, the building was restored by architects Clement Toy and Raymond Erith.
Gotham House is a rare example of an elaborate Georgian townhouse and is an important part of Tiverton's history. It is listed by Historic England no. 1384877.
Address: Gotham House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6LT
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