Court Cottage

Summary

A C15 or early C16 dwelling, with jointed-cruck frame, originally constructed as an open hall house.

Reasons for Designation

Court Cottage, Carhampton, Somerset is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an example of a C15 or early C16 jointed-cruck open hall house, providing evidence of the social functions and habits in medieval times and how they evolved in the C17 and later;
* Architectural interest: the building retains a substantial late-medieval roof and is a good example of C15/C16 building construction;
* Degree of survival: despite inevitable alteration over the years, the building contains a significant proportion of its early fabric, including a plank and muntin screen and a partially smoke-blackened roof structure.

History

Court Cottage is probably of C15 or early C16 origin; this is demonstrated by the surviving smoke-blackened roof structure and diagonally-set ridge piece which indicates the building’s original plan as an open hall house. The building has since been adapted over a number of phases, including the insertion of chimneys and an attic floor probably during the C17, a period which saw considerable rebuilding across rural England. The building was extended by an additional bay to the east, probably during the C19.

Court Cottage is shown on the tithe map of 1840 and largely corresponds to its current footprint. The 1889 Ordnance Survey Map shows the building with the addition of its projecting bread oven from the principal façade. The map also shows an attached outbuilding range to the east which has since been demolished.

During the mid-C20, the building was divided into two separate dwellings; the building was then converted back into a single dwelling during the late-C20. The roof at the east end of the building appears to date to the late-C20. Two separate outbuildings, both of C20 date have been built to the east and north-east of the building.

Details

A C15 or early C16 dwelling, originally a hall house with jointed-cruck frame. Altered and extended in various stages from the C17 to the C20.

MATERIALS: constructed of random rubble stone with possible cob to the rear and west end; later brick dressings with brick quoins on the north-east façade. The roof has three oak jointed-cruck trusses and some later softwood principal and secondary timbers under thatch. The south-west and south-east elevations have been rendered. The internal parlour partition is of oak.

PLAN: the building is rectangular on plan and is orientated north-east south-west.

EXTERIOR: the principal (north-west) elevation is an irregular five-bay façade with a large lateral, red brick stack and projecting bread oven. To the left is the main entrance to the building covered by a thatched porch. Further to the left are openings with modern timber casements under dormer windows at attic level. To the right of the stack are two tripartite casements which have possibly been inserted from elsewhere. To the far right is a tiled lean-to porch with modern door and single light casement. The south-west elevation is curved and features a central window at ground level with two dormer windows above. The rear elevation has two further dormer windows and three two-light casements at ground level. All of the windows on this elevation are double glazed. To the right are two further stacks, one which appears to be of early-C20 date and the other a late-C20 structure. The north-east elevation has a half-hipped roof and an additional entranceway which is central and covered by a small timber porch with tiled roof. A large three-light casement window of C20 date is at first floor level and two two-light casements, either side of the porch, are at ground level.

INTERIOR: the principal entrance to the building opens to a central hallway that terminates at an inserted stair to the rear. The principal room, to the left of the hallway, features a stone fireplace at the south-east corner and has C20 alterations. There are substantial beams at each end of the room, above the north and south windows, which may be the girding beams to the cruck frame. On the south wall, at the west end of the south beam, is a door head fragment that lines up with the cross passage. There is an inserted C20 stair in this corner of the room which leads to the bedrooms on the east side of the building. The room has a central deep-chamfered beam with broach stops at the east end. A door to the east leads to a narrow room of probable C17 date with a substantial modified beam in the end wall. The room encloses the rear of a fireplace to the principal room. An opening has been made into the east wall to give access to the C19 kitchen extension.

To the right of the entrance hall is the former hall with substantial oak plank and muntin screen of C15/C16 date. This was probably a partition to separate the parlour at the west end of the house, the ‘upper’ end. The screen is oak-pegged and appears to be in its original position. The ceiling is supported by a large, chamfered beam running north to south with a broach stop at the north end. The beam has been repaired at the south end, spliced with another substantial beam and braced with a chamfered timber. The repair or adaption is failing. There is a fireplace in the north wall, with wood-burning stove and bread oven to the rear. There is an opening in the left end of the screen, with inserted C20 door and replacement head, this leads into the former parlour. The ceiling is supported by a number of substantial timber joists set into deep-chamfered beams running north to south. The beam in the west end wall is stopped at the north end and truncated at the south where the stair has been inserted. A C20 stair has been inserted at the south end of the room with a cloakroom situated to the north.

At the top of the stair is an exposed jointed cruck truss, at a right angle to the main roof trusses. There are two bedrooms leading off the landing, both with visible pegged cruck trusses at floor height at either ends of the rooms. Through the larger bedroom is access to two further bedrooms, the first with another visible cruck truss. The final bedroom and bathroom at the very east end of the house have both been modernised with no visible historic fabric.

Above the inserted ceiling three cruck trusses, some principal rafters, collars and diagonal ridge pieces show smoke blackening. There are some other substantial roof timbers that show no smoke blackening and may be of C17 date. Other secondary timbers are modern replacements. The eastern third of the roof appears to be of modern construction.

Sources

Books and journals
Brunskill, R W, Traditional Buildings of Britain, (1992)

Websites
Somerset Historic Environment Record, Tithe Maps c.1840, accessed 24 January 2017 from http://www.somersetheritage.org.uk

End of official list entry

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