Barnstaple House Galleon Cottage Plantaganet Cottage

Details

SS 62 NW CHITTLEHAMPTON HIGH STREET (south side) 1/143 Chittlehampton Galleon Cottage, Plantaganet - Cottage and Barnstable House GV II*

3 adjoining cottages, part of the right end cottage used as shop. Galleon Cottage and Plantaganet Cottage early C16 in origin, Barnstaple House apparently C17 and C18, the entire range later subdivided and altered in C19 with late C20 alterations. Unrendered stone rubble to ground floor, rendered cob above. Thatch roof with gable ends. Brick shaft to left end, axial stone rubble stack, rendered stack towards rear right end, and brick stack to gable end of rear wing at right end. Overall L- shaped plan; Galleon Cottage at left end of 1-room plan with winder staircase beside gable end stack; Plantaganet Cottage of 2 rooms with back-to-back fireplaces and steep winder staircase to rear left-hand corner of the left-hand room. Both Plantaganet and Galleon Cottages have thatched rear outshuts. Barnstaple House of three rooms in line, with staircases at each end, the 2 left-hand rooms with fireplaces across the rear angles sharing same stack, and room at right end used as shop. Kitchen wing to rear right end of 1-room plan, but may originally have extended further to the south. Extraordinarily complex and interesting plan development with successive subdivision and merging of units. The original core, confined to Galleon and Plantaganet Cottage, comprises a 3-bay open hall house, the heaviest smoke-blackening occurring towards the left gable end. A closed stud partition now forming the dividing wall between Galleon and Plantaganet Cottage rises to the apex of the roof between the 2 trusses. To the right and close to the right-hand truss, is the inserted partition wall incorporating the back-to-back fireplaces to the centre of Plantaganet Cottage, the fireplace to the right-hand room being clearly a still later development - a fragment of wall painting apparently cutting through the inserted floor level. Plantaganet Cottage itself was later divided into 2 cottages of 1-room plan each, with evidence of a demolished staircase in the rear right-hand corner of the right- hand room. Similarly, Barnstaple House which appears to be a late C17/early C18 addition was also occupied as 2 cottages, with a solid wall partition between them, later becoming an alehouse and in C20 a single private dwelling. 2 storeys. 8-window range. Galleon Cottage and Plantaganet Cottage retain principally C19 fenestration with 2-light casements, 2 of 4 panes to left, 2 of 6 panes to right above 2 stable doors each with two 2-light casements 6 panes per light to right. The window to the right of the entrance door to Galleon Cottage has a wide timber lintel and is inserted in a blocked doorway - possibly the original entrance. The right-hand window to Plantaganet Cottage is also an insertion into a blocked doorway, Barnstaple House has all C20 fenestration of 2-light metal casements with square leaded panes. Rear wing retains mainly C19 fenestration. Interiors. Ground floor of Galleon Cottage not accessible, but has chamfered cross ceiling beam close to gable end stack, C17 or C18 timber door surrounds to rear outshut, and timber winder staircase beside gable end stack. Plantaganet Cottage has steep timber winder staircase to rear of left-hand room, chamfered fireplace lintel and hollow step stopped bressumer. Right-hand room has small fireplace with rounded stone back and a fragment of early wall painting to the same wall which continues above the inserted floor. Hollow step-stopped bressumer to upper end. Barnstaple House has adjacent fireplaces across the rear angles of the 2 principal rooms with chamfered lintels. Chamfered cross ceiling beam with hollow step stops to left-hand room. Rear kitchen wing has creamery niche. C18 raised and fielded 2- panelled door between 2 principal chambers with H-L hinges. Roof structure. The trusses to Barnstaple House have pegged apexes to straight principals with waney rafters and purlins. 2 trusses of Galleon and Plantaganet Cottage are listed in the 'Cruck Catalogue' as true crucks, and have 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlin. A remarkable survival, possibly unique in North Devon, is a large number of scantle slates underneath the thatched roof towards the left gable end, with small wooden pegs; the closely spaced battens indicate this was the original roof covering, and the slates themselves, battens, rafters and main roof members are heavily smoke-blackened. The use of slates in the late medieval period probably stems from the location of the building in a dense area of nucleated settlement, as a means of reducing the fire risk.

Listing NGR: SS6355525462

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

444772

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Alcock, N W, Council for British Archaeology Research Report in Cruck Construction An Introduction And Catalogue, (1981)

End of official list entry

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