Description

SX 86 NE COFFINSWELL COFFINSWELL
3/99 Willa Cottage/Court Barton Cottage
-
23.8.55
II
2 cottages, originally farmhouse. Circa 1500, altered in C17, remodelled in circa early C20. Converted into 2 cottages probably in C19. Rendered cob and rubble walls. Gable-ended wood shingle roof. Rubble gable end stack to left with brick shaft. Rubble axial stack to right of centre, off-set from ridge with brick shaft. Originally 3 room and through-passage plan open to the roof at least over the hall. Hall floored and axial stack inserted into it backing onto the passage in circa early C17. Lower room has C17 gable end stack. Inner room probably unheated. Converted into 2 cottages probably in C19. Court Barton extended at rear in early-mid C20 remodelled, and refenestrated at this stage.
2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4 window front with Willa Cottage to right, Court Barton
Cottage to left. Mainly C20 2-light casements with diamond leaded panes. Ground
floor left-hand window is 3-light bay, with 2-light bay at centre. On the first
floor the 2 outer windows have gablets above while the roof line is swept up in a
curve over the inner two. To left of centre is probably original round-headed
chamfered oak doorframe, recessed in square surround. C20 plank door with coloured glazed light either side. At rear is former barn now converted and attached to house by C20 extension.
Interior: contains features of interest from various phases of the house's
development. Visible in Willa Cottage (which consists of original hall and inner
room) is one jointed cruck, side pegged, with threaded purlins and morticed collars and apex. Diagonal ridge. This truss is over the hall and is smoke-blackened. Remainder of roof not visible. Adjoining the jointed cruck just below the original eaves level is an original 2-light wood mullioned window with cusped lights, now blocked. The former hall has a heavy timber lintel to the fireplace, now blocked below. 2 chamfered cross beams with bar and hollow step stop, the higher end one is chamfered on the hall side only. Court Barton Cottage possibly has a concealed plank and muntin screen at the lower side of the passage as there is a head beam at the top of the partition and wooden post at either end. Lower room has chamfered cross beam with hollow step stops supported at either end on chamfered wooden posts. Small open fireplace has chamfered wood lintel with worn bar stops and single sandstone jamb either side.
Despite being converted into 2 cottages and the early C20 re-modelling of the facade this building retains a considerable number of early features, the survival of original doorway and window being of particular interest and relatively unusual in this area.

Listing NGR: SX8906768597

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26389576

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey