Croft Cottage (Cottage South West of Yew Tree Cottage)

Summary

A C17 timber-framed cottage with C18, C19 and C20 additions and alterations.

Reasons for Designation

Croft Cottage (also known as Cottage South-West of Yew Tree Cottage, Bishop's Frome, Bromyard, Herefordshire), a former C17 dwelling, is listed for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural: although the building has been abandoned for some time, it still retains its essential architectural character, and its plan, materials and history of adaptation can still be read.

* Restoration: the fact that new owners are willing to restore the building means that listing will help to ensure an appropriate level of protection and care when this work is undetaken.

History

Yew Tree Farm is a farmstead on the west end of the village of Fromes Hill, to the south-west of Worcester. The farmhouse and some of the outbuildings appear to date from the C18 and C19, with later alterations. To the east of the farm is Croft Cottage, listed as Cottage to the South West of Yew Tree Cottage, a building with C17 origins. Further to the east stands Yew Tree Cottage (listed at Grade II). Croft Cottage has been adapted in later years. At some point, possibly in the late-C19, the south end of the cottage has collapsed and a small lean-to has been constructed within the shell. At the time of survey (January 2011) the building was in a ruinous state and unoccupied.

Details

A farm cottage of C17 or C18 date with C19 and C20 additions and alterations. The timber frame has wattle and daub infill to internal walls and brick nogged infill to the exterior with rubble stone chimney stacks to each gable end. The roof covering is of slates. The building has two storeys with a central staircase, and appears to originally have had two rooms to each floor. The southern end of the cottage has partially collapsed, however the lower body of the chimney stack remains standing.
EXTERIOR: The east front has 4X3 cells of small framing at its northern end, with some timbers which appear to be re-used from elsewhere, and brick infill, which was formerly rendered. There is a doorway to the left and empty cells without infill to either side of this and at first floor level at right. Immediately above the doorway is a small, C19 window. The north gable end has rubble stone walling across its whole width. The gable has a brick flue above the stone stack, with render and a small window to the wall at right. A circular bread oven attached to the west of the stack has largely collapsed, revealing part of the brick lining of the interior. The west flank has lost cells of framing at its northern end due to a collapse, although four cells at the southern end are still in situ. To the right of this the southern half has suffered a collapse of the roof, but the lower cells of the exterior walling are still intact, with infill of C19 brick, which was formerly rendered. Here too there are signs of re-used timbers and iron straps. There is an angled, timber brace to right of the centre, which appears to date from the time after the collapse of the southern end, when a lean-to was constructed within the shell of the building at that end, up against the exposed, internal partition. The southern gable end, of rubble stone walling, has partially collapsed. There is a rounded projection at left of the chimney stack, which appears to indicate the position of a bread oven.
INTERIOR: To the northern end there are ceiling beams at ground floor level, including a spinal beam which supports floor joists. The roof at this end has exposed purlins. At either side of the staircase bay at are studded walls, that to the north having closes studs and that to the south showing a doorway at first floor level, through to the former southern end, which has been blocked. There is a C19 cast iron range and mantle shelf to the north gable end at ground floor level and a C19 plank door with strap hinges. The staircase to the upper floor is of the C20.


This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 04/12/2012


(Formerly listed as Cottage South-West of Yew Tree Cottage)

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

150900

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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