Lownard Cottage

Details

DARTINGTON SX7862 - SX7962 WEEK 12/184 No 1 Lownard Cottage 9.2.61

GV II

House. C15 remodelled in C17 and C18, extended in C20. Whitewashed stone rubble and cob. Thatched roof with gable end to right with projecting gable end stack, and half-hipped end to left. rear lateral stack with heightened rendered shaft. The thatch at the eaves is swept over the first floor windows. Plan: Original plan uncertain but it was probably 2 rooms as it is now with the large 2-bay hall to the left and a smaller 1 bay lower end room to the right. At least the right hand bay of the hall was open to the roof, while the higher left hand bay may have always had a first floor chamber (solar) because the first floor partition appears to be integral with the truss; there is no evidence for there ever having been a partition below to form an inner room. The lower right end of the house may also have been open to the roof originally and a gable end stack and floor inserted in C17 certainly before the lower end of the hall was floored which was possibly as late as the C18. The lateral stack at the back of the hall would have been built at the same time as the hall was floored, the precise date is uncertain because the fireplace is blocked and its lintel concealed. There may have been a passage between the hall and the lower room; if so the partition on the lower side has been removed; however there are opposing front and rear doorways, but eh C15 rear doorframe is chamfered on the inside only and if it is in situ this suggests it led to a stair turret which is unlikely as the doorframe is C15 and the lower end was not floored until the C17, and the lower end of the hall was floor even later. The present staircase is situated behind the hall stack within a larger C20 outshut. There is an earlier lean-to at the lower end of the house which now contains the kitchen. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical but regular 3 window front. C19 and C20 2 and 3-light casements, some probably in old frames, and with timber lintels. Blocked doorway to left of front probably originally a window, and a raking masonry buttress to its right. Doorway to right of centre with heavy chamfered lintel and probably early C19 plank door with wrought iron hinges, and lean-to scantle slated canopy on wooden cantilevers. The higher left hand end wall has a C15 first floor wooden window with ogee trefoil headed lights; 2 lights above the transom and 4-lights below with intermediate mullions; all chamfered and not rebated for glass; set in opening with heavy chamfered timber lintel with run-out stops. To its left also in the end wall a small 2-light C18 window. Single storey lean-to on right hand lower gable end with slate roof. C20 lean-to outshuts at rear. Interior: a 3-bay roof with 2 raised cruck trusses with slightly cambered and morticed collars, diagonal ridge piece threaded purlins, and a hip cruck at the lower right end on a wooden pad. The closed truss at the higher left end has possibly an original timber frame partition on the first storey supported on a heavy roughly chamfered (but not stopped) ceiling beam which seems never to have had a roughly chamfered (but not stopped) ceiling beam which seems never to have had a partition below. Very large unchamfered joists support the first floor chamber over the higher end of the hall. The lower end of the hall has inserted rough joists. The lower end room has chamfered ceiling beams. The lower end fireplace has a C20 wooden lintel and the hall's rear lateral fireplace has been blocked with a C20 chimneypiece. Opposite the front doorway a rear doorway with a probably C15 heavy wooden pointed arch doorframe, chamfered on the inside only. On the first floor some C18 2-panel doors. Note: the former list description mentioned a "plaster shield of arms" inside

Listing NGR: SX7820762184

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

101099

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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