Kelly House

Kelly House is a Grade I listed historic house in Devon, and a member of Historic Houses. Read about its history, architecture and gardens, plus how to visit and what's nearby.

About Kelly House

Kelly House stands near the village of Kelly, in the Lifton area of west Devon, and has been home to the Kelly family for more than 900 years.

The house began as a medieval hall, extended through the Tudor and Stuart periods, before Arthur Kelly added a confident Georgian front in 1742.

The Kelly family adopted their name from the Celtic place name, which derives from a word meaning a clearing in a wood.

Historic Houses members can visit for free, and the church and grounds nearby are also open to visitors.

History of Kelly House

The Kelly family took their name from the place itself, which derives from a Celtic word meaning a clearing in a wood. The family has held the estate at Kelly, near Lifton, since around 1100 CE. Successive generations rebuilt and extended the property through the 16th and 17th centuries, before Arthur Kelly's prosperity allowed him to commission the present Georgian range in 1742. The house remains in the family today, its fabric layered with nearly a millennium of continuous occupation.

Architecture of Kelly House

The house is built around a surviving medieval hall, with Tudor and 17th-century extensions still visible in its oldest sections. Arthur Kelly's 1742 addition brought an elegant Georgian frontage set to take advantage of the view, creating a building that reads as several centuries of English domestic architecture in one structure.

Gardens & grounds at Kelly House

The grounds include a trail of poisonous and dangerous plants, explored on the house's Poison in the Garden tours.

Plan your visit to Kelly House

Official site Google Maps Waze

Nearest station: Gunnislake Rail Station (6.9 miles)

Admission

Free entry to Historic Houses members (show valid membership card)

Is this your property? Update this listing for free

Places to visit near Kelly House

Launceston Castle

castle 4.4 miles

View Launceston Castle on heritage map

Lydford Castle

castle 7.4 miles

View Lydford Castle on heritage map

Dupath Well

monument 7.7 miles

View Dupath Well on heritage map

Cotehele

historic building 8.2 miles

Visit Cotehele View Cotehele on heritage map

Cotehele Mill

mill 8.3 miles

View Cotehele Mill on heritage map

Historic places nearby

Within 5 miles of Kelly House there are 1 historic properties, including 1 castle.

1 English Heritage

1 Castle

See these 1 sites on the heritage map

Within 10 miles of Kelly House there are 7 historic properties, including 2 historic buildings and 2 castles, across National Trust and English Heritage sites.

4 National Trust

3 English Heritage

2 Historic building

2 Castle

1 Monument

1 Mill

1 Landscape

See these 7 sites on the heritage map

Within 20 miles of Kelly House there are 23 historic properties, including 6 archaeological sites, 5 historic houses and 3 historic buildings, across English Heritage, National Trust and Historic Houses sites.

12 English Heritage

8 National Trust

3 Historic Houses

6 Archaeological site

5 Historic house

3 Historic building

2 Castle

2 Landscape

1 Industrial

1 Fort