Description

DODDISCOMBSLEIGH
SX 88 NW
2/137 Spanishlake Cottage and adjoining
9.4.87 barn
II
Cottage and adjoining threshing barn, disused at time of survey (1987). Late C18,
the barn dated 1771, the cottage may be slightly later. Cob on stone rubble
footings, formerly plastered and limewashed corrugated iron roof, gabled at ends ;
projecting cob end stack to cottage with cob chimney shaft ; some brieze block and
brick repair.
Plan: A rare survival of what once must have been a common type of building ; a 1
room plan labourer's cottage, attached to a farmbuilding. Remnants of walling to the
east suggest that the building was part of a former farmstead. South-facing range ;
a small threshing barn with opposed doorways to the east (right) ; the cottage, at
the west (left) end, has one heated ground floor room with a winder stair in the
north west corner, the first floor was partitioned into 2 rooms. The front wall of
the cottage no longer exists but must have included the only doorway to the building.
Exterior: 2 storey cottage, single-storey barn. The barn has a blocked doorway on
the south front with a timber lintel, part of the front wall to the east is missing :
concrete block buttress to the front wall of the barn, which has a brick gable on the
right return, replacing a half-hipped end to the roof. Threshing doorway with timber
lintel on rear (north) elevation, the roof brough down as a canopy to the doorway. A
straight joint and slight change in plane marks the junction between the barn and the
cottage, which has a small 1-light first floor window with a timber frame under the
eaves, splayed on both the outer and inner faces. The cob stack on the west return
has a low cob shaft, with slate capping.
Interior: The barn has plastered walls, date of 1771 on north wall in plaster relief
with the initials SW separated from the date by an incised diamond; small splayed
window high up on the west wall, blocked when the cottage was added. 2 pegged X apex
collar rafter roof trusses with ridge, purlins and rafters intact ; plastered battens
to the former half-hip at the west end suggest that the barn was originally slated,
not thatched. The interior of the cottage, although incomplete on the first floor
and front wall, retains almost all its original, simple features. Cobbled floor ;
open fireplace with timber lintel and evidence of former bread oven ; chamfered
crossbeam with runout stops, chamfered joists to north of crossbeam, joists to south
missing. Steep timber staircase in north west corner with a straight flight with
winder. The first floor rear room is lit only by the small north window under the
eaves, a partition wall (stud with lath and plaster infill, plaster missing) divides
the north room from the first floor south room with a doorway with a 2 plank door
with strap hinges and gudgeon hooks. 1 pegged collar rafter roof truss at east end,
rafters and purlins intact.
There is scarcely any surviving evidence in the County of purpose-built farm
labourers' housing earlier than the C19. This example, with so many of its original
details and its relationship to a farmbuilding intact, is particularly important.

Listing NGR: SX8469687021

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26390041

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

• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)