Church Stile Cottage

Details

EAST BUDLEIGH HIGH STREET (west side) East SY 0684 Budleigh 8/86 No. 21 Church Stile Cottage

GV II House. Probably C16 origins but whole house was reorganised and enlarged in the mid to late C17, modernised in mid C19. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; stone rubble stacks with brick chimney shafts, one of them of mid-late C17 brick (unusual survival for Devon); thatch roofs. The house apparently originated as a 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing onto the High Street to east and with the service end room on the uphill right (northern) end. In the mid to late C17 the house was enlarged and much rebuilt. Only a small part of the original rear wall survives behind the former inner room. The house was broadened to accommodate a double depth plan with new service rooms and stairwell behind the former hall and inner room. The passage was extended through the new rear extension. It seems that the projecting front lateral stack to the hall was built (or rebuilt) at this time. At the same time the service end was enlarged and built out even deeper than the rest and provided with a massive end stack. In fact the stack appears to serve back-to-back fireplaces and it seems that the adjoining block beyond (now Church Cottage (q.v)) was built as a brewhouse or kitchen at the same time. The house was modernised in the mid C19, probably the time that Church Cottage was divided off from the main house. At this time the service end room was divided into two and the front room upgraded to a parlour or dining room. Behind the inner room there is a block at right angles to the main range. This was probably a store of C18 or C19 date. It was originally detached but the circa 1970 it was partly rebuilt and connected to the main house. Irregular 3-window front of late C18 or early C19 oak flat-faced mullion windows. All are 3 lights except for a 4-light window first floor left. The ground floor windows are taller than those on the first floor and all contain rectangular panes of leaded glass except for 2 lights with glazing bars in the 4-light window. The front passage doorway is right of centre. It contains a C19 6-panel door with a contemporary flat hood on shaped brackets. The hall stack has a tiny fire window looking downhill from the left side and a tall double chimney shaft of C19 brick. The service end chimney shaft is built of thin mid to late C17 bricks (possibly imported Dutch). It has soffit-moulded coping and was extended a little with late C19 brick. The roof is continuous with neighbouring Budleigh House (q.v.) to left and Church Cottage (q.v.) to right. Interior. Although nothing shows which definitely predates the mid to late C17 refurbishment parts of the original house may survive behind late plaster. The partition between the hall and inner room has been knocked out and a C20 beam inserted. In the inner room section the soffit-chamfered half beam across the end wall is propped by C20 posts. In the rear wall there is a late C17 - early C18 cupboard with moulded surround, dentil cornice, shaped shelves and panelled doors hung on H-hinges. In the hall the large soffit-chamfered crossbeam has had its stops knocked off. The large stone fireplace has chamfered sides but the soffit of the oak lintel has been cut back. The rear doorway of the passage is C17, oak and has a chamfered surround. Since the C19 the service end room has been divided into two. The rear room is now a kitchen with a mid to late C17 soffit-chamfered axial beam with double bar-scroll stops. In the end wall half of a massive fireplace is exposed; dressed stone sides and soffit-chamfered oak lintel. The other side of the partition the rest of the fireplace has been demolished and replaced by a brick stack with an Adams style chimneypiece. On the first floor there are several late C17 - early C18 2-panel doors hung on H-L hinges. The stairs however are C20 and apparently have been turned round so that they now lead up from the passage rather than the hall. The chamber over the hall has a small C17 fireplace; its oak lintel is ovolo-moulded with scroll stops. The chamber over the service end has a C19 grate. Where the internal partitions show their structure in the roofspace they are timber-framed with cob nogging. The roof throughout is made up of A-frame trusses in which the rear principals are longer carrying the roofs lower over the rear rooms. They have pegged lap-jointed collars. This is an attractive house with an interesting development. It seems that the adjoining Church Cottage (q.v.) was originally part of the same house. The layout of the building and its proximity to the church may suggest that this was the original church house. Church Stile Cottage is one of an attractive and varied group of buildings, most of them listed, which line High Street as it rises towards the Church of All Saints (q.v.)

Listing NGR: SY0661684867

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

86286

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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