Newly-restored Elizabethan Boarding House explores the story of its residents over 4 centuries

A rare example of a 400-year-old Elizabethan Boarding House has opened in Plymouth after a six-year restoration project

With its timber frame, bare wooden floors, oak beams, spiral staircase and earth plaster walls – for 400 years, the Elizabethan house in Plymouth has stood almost unaltered.

The house survived the Blitz, when Plymouth was one of the most violently bombed cities in the UK, as well as extensive slum clearances in the early 1900s.

An archaeological survey of the building uncovered items including glass, ceramics, marbles and animal bones that tell the story of the residents of the house over the past four centuries. The curatorial team at Elizabethan House have pieced together a story of what it was like to live in a shared house at various times over the centuries, in one of the UK’S most important naval ports. Previous known residents include:

• Mary Ann Sturges, who lived in the house in the mid-19th century. She worked in lace and had a child, Elizabeth, born out of wedlock. The father, a Mr Palmer, lived in another room of the House – they were not married.

• Mary Cooksley was born in Bengal/india (to white British parents). She married Thomas Cooksley. Their son, also named Thomas, was born in the house and went on to become a merchant seaman. He died in 1940 when his ship, the SS Sandsend was hit by a German torpedo.

• Thomas Leaman, who owned the House when it was bought under compulsory purchase order by the Council. The undertaker was a tall, stern man. He hoped to get enough money for the house to buy a new car. He didn’t quite get enough.

The new multi-sensory audio-visual tour of the building lasts for around 45 minutes and is led by the ‘voice’ of the House. Acting as a narrator, she shares her memories with visitors as they are led through each of the restored rooms.

Tickets are £10/£7.50 concessions/£5 5-17 year olds/free for under 5s and must be booked in advance at www.theboxplymouth.com

Interested in the history of buildings? Don’t miss October Family Tree, featuring the team behind BBC TV’S A House Through Time. Pre-order your copy at: www.family-tree.co.uk/store/back-issues/family-tree-magazine

The £1.7M restoration included authentic decoration of the rooms and repair work to the external structure and oak timbers

The immersive visitor experience allows visitors to see the house through the eyes of various residents over the centuries