Photo: Kelly House by Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About this place
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.
Read more on WikipediaHistory
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
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
The grounds include a trail of poisonous and dangerous plants, explored on the house's Poison in the Garden tours.
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Gunnislake Rail Station (6.9 miles)
Nearby properties
Launceston Castle
View Launceston Castle on heritage mapLydford Castle
View Lydford Castle on heritage mapDupath Well
View Dupath Well on heritage mapCotehele Mill
View Cotehele Mill on heritage mapCotehele Quay
View Cotehele Quay on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of Kelly House there are 1 historic properties, including 1 castle.
Within 10 miles of Kelly House there are 6 historic properties, including 3 historic buildings and 2 castles, across English Heritage and National Trust sites.
Within 20 miles of Kelly House there are 21 historic properties, including 11 historic buildings, 4 archaeological sites and 2 castles, across English Heritage, National Trust and Historic Houses sites.
Facts
A house built in layers over 900 years, with a garden trail of plants that could pose serious harm.
- Type
- historic house
- Location
- Devon, England
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