Description

In the entry for the following:-

SX 79 SW DREWSTEIGNTON

5/83 Wisedom Cottages

II

The description shall be amended to read as follows:-

2 cottages, former farmhouse. Late medieval with C17 wing addition to rear and later
outshots, C20 extension to left end. Plastered stone rubble, probably with cob; stone rubble
stacks topped with C20 brick, one over the original granite ashlar chimney shaft; thatch roof.

Plan and Development 4-room and through passage plan house comprising 3-room and
through-passage plan house, C17 wing added to rear of former inner room; early C20
addition onto left end of inner room. Divided into pair of cottages probably in the late
1920s. The left cottage occupies the former inner room with probable stair projection,
attached C17 rear wing and early C20 extension of stairway and parlour at left end of main
range. The C20 extension has a gable end stack and the inner room a large axial stack
(formerly on the gable end). The right cottage occupies the former hall with rear lateral
stack, former passage and lower/service end with a probably secondary rear lateral stack. The
original wide through passage now houses inserted stairs - rear door now blocked (though
still visible). Small, late single storey outshot against rear of right cottage. The house began
as a late medieval open hall house, and was probably floored between the mid C16 and the
mid C17. Now 2 storeys.

Exterior: irregular 4-window front of C20 casements with glazing bars, those at first floor
level in left cottage are half dormers. Front doorway to left cottage within C20 extension
behind contemporary porch. Doorway to right cottage opens onto through passage. Roof
is gable ended to left and half hipped to right. Probable stair projection to rear of former
inner room. Two storey C17 wing has lost top of chimney stack but body of stack projects
from face of wall; low projection to left of stack, function uncertain, (projection may have
been taller but now window here).

Interior: Some C16 and C17 carpentry exposed, including bridging beam to hall with wide
chamfer and double bar and stepped stop. Doorway from passage to hall has reused timber
lintel - appears to be head of former two-light timber window. Service end has rough beam
with wide chamfer and simple run out stops, attached to this to centre of passage wall is
vertical timber with curving head and similar wide chamfer decoration (? one side of a
former doorway.

Rear wing has a beam with wide chamfer with stepped stop. Within wing original fireplace
exposed with chamfered timber lintel (stops obscured). Hearth is positioned to far left,
blocked opening to right of hearth, ? former creamer/fuel store. All other fireplaces now
have C20 hearths. On 1st floor feet of trusses exposed within right cottage (over former
service end, passage and hall), side pegged jointed crucks. Within attic roof is smoke
blackened and has two rows of threaded purlins (lower ones exposed in bedrooms). Slightly
cambered collars. Truss over wall of passage and service end has replacement collar bolted
on to it. Truss forming (clean) hill height partition over wall between hall and inner room
has vertical timber between collar and ceiling with hole-slot near present ceiling, purpose
uncertain. Access to roof over inner room (in left cottage) very limited but historic roof
appears to extend hill length of 3 room plan house, (though smoke blackening here is very
light). Roof over wing not inspected.

------------------------------------

SX 79 SW DREWSTEIGNTON

5/83 Wisedom Cottages

II

2 cottages, former farmhouse. C17 or earlier. Plastered stone rubble, probably
with cob; stone rubble stacks topped with C20 brick, one over the original granite
ashlar chimney shaft; thatch roof.
Plan and development: pair of 2-room plan cottages facing south-west and built
across the hillslope. They occupy a 4-room-and-through-passage plan house. The
left cottage occupies the former service end room, passage and hall. The service
end room has a gable-end stack and the hall has a large axial stack backing onto the
former passage. The right cottage occupies the former inner room with rear lateral
stack and there is a fourth room on the end with a probably secondary rear lateral
stack. This end room is probably an extension. Since an internal inspection was
not available at the time of this survey it is not possible to outline the historic
development of the house here. Nevertheless it seems likely that it began as a late
medieval open hall house, maybe heated by an open hearth fire. The fireplaces would
have been inserted and the house progressively floored over betwene the mid C16 and
mid C17. Now 2 storeys.
Exterior: irregular 4-window front of C20 casements with glazing bars, those at
first floor level in the left cottage are half dormers. The passage front doorway
(to the left cottage) is C20 behind a contemporary porch. The right cottage has its
doorway inserted through the right end wall. Roof is gable-ended to left and half-
hipped to right.
Interior was not available for inspection at the time of this survey but is thought
to include C17 and maybe C16 carpentry and other details. It may even have a smoke-
blackened late medieval roof.

Listing NGR: SX7226590606

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26399969

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)