Wisedom Cottages

Details

In the entry for the following:-

SX 79 SW DREWSTEIGNTON

5/83 Wisedom Cottages

II

The description shall be amended to read as follows:-

2 cottages, former farmhouse. Late medieval with C17 wing addition to rear and later outshots, C20 extension to left end. Plastered stone rubble, probably with cob; stone rubble stacks topped with C20 brick, one over the original granite ashlar chimney shaft; thatch roof.

Plan and Development 4-room and through passage plan house comprising 3-room and through-passage plan house, C17 wing added to rear of former inner room; early C20 addition onto left end of inner room. Divided into pair of cottages probably in the late 1920s. The left cottage occupies the former inner room with probable stair projection, attached C17 rear wing and early C20 extension of stairway and parlour at left end of main range. The C20 extension has a gable end stack and the inner room a large axial stack (formerly on the gable end). The right cottage occupies the former hall with rear lateral stack, former passage and lower/service end with a probably secondary rear lateral stack. The original wide through passage now houses inserted stairs - rear door now blocked (though still visible). Small, late single storey outshot against rear of right cottage. The house began as a late medieval open hall house, and was probably floored between the mid C16 and the mid C17. Now 2 storeys.

Exterior: irregular 4-window front of C20 casements with glazing bars, those at first floor level in left cottage are half dormers. Front doorway to left cottage within C20 extension behind contemporary porch. Doorway to right cottage opens onto through passage. Roof is gable ended to left and half hipped to right. Probable stair projection to rear of former inner room. Two storey C17 wing has lost top of chimney stack but body of stack projects from face of wall; low projection to left of stack, function uncertain, (projection may have been taller but now window here).

Interior: Some C16 and C17 carpentry exposed, including bridging beam to hall with wide chamfer and double bar and stepped stop. Doorway from passage to hall has reused timber lintel - appears to be head of former two-light timber window. Service end has rough beam with wide chamfer and simple run out stops, attached to this to centre of passage wall is vertical timber with curving head and similar wide chamfer decoration (? one side of a former doorway.

Rear wing has a beam with wide chamfer with stepped stop. Within wing original fireplace exposed with chamfered timber lintel (stops obscured). Hearth is positioned to far left, blocked opening to right of hearth, ? former creamer/fuel store. All other fireplaces now have C20 hearths. On 1st floor feet of trusses exposed within right cottage (over former service end, passage and hall), side pegged jointed crucks. Within attic roof is smoke blackened and has two rows of threaded purlins (lower ones exposed in bedrooms). Slightly cambered collars. Truss over wall of passage and service end has replacement collar bolted on to it. Truss forming (clean) hill height partition over wall between hall and inner room has vertical timber between collar and ceiling with hole-slot near present ceiling, purpose uncertain. Access to roof over inner room (in left cottage) very limited but historic roof appears to extend hill length of 3 room plan house, (though smoke blackening here is very light). Roof over wing not inspected.

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SX 79 SW DREWSTEIGNTON

5/83 Wisedom Cottages

II

2 cottages, former farmhouse. C17 or earlier. Plastered stone rubble, probably with cob; stone rubble stacks topped with C20 brick, one over the original granite ashlar chimney shaft; thatch roof. Plan and development: pair of 2-room plan cottages facing south-west and built across the hillslope. They occupy a 4-room-and-through-passage plan house. The left cottage occupies the former service end room, passage and hall. The service end room has a gable-end stack and the hall has a large axial stack backing onto the former passage. The right cottage occupies the former inner room with rear lateral stack and there is a fourth room on the end with a probably secondary rear lateral stack. This end room is probably an extension. Since an internal inspection was not available at the time of this survey it is not possible to outline the historic development of the house here. Nevertheless it seems likely that it began as a late medieval open hall house, maybe heated by an open hearth fire. The fireplaces would have been inserted and the house progressively floored over betwene the mid C16 and mid C17. Now 2 storeys. Exterior: irregular 4-window front of C20 casements with glazing bars, those at first floor level in the left cottage are half dormers. The passage front doorway (to the left cottage) is C20 behind a contemporary porch. The right cottage has its doorway inserted through the right end wall. Roof is gable-ended to left and half- hipped to right. Interior was not available for inspection at the time of this survey but is thought to include C17 and maybe C16 carpentry and other details. It may even have a smoke- blackened late medieval roof.

Listing NGR: SX7226590606

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

94876

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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