History in Structure

Rose Cottage

A Grade II Listed Building in Colmworth, Bedford

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.2189 / 52°13'7"N

Longitude: -0.3805 / 0°22'49"W

OS Eastings: 510729

OS Northings: 259086

OS Grid: TL107590

Mapcode National: GBR H2G.SQF

Mapcode Global: VHFPX.CH5C

Plus Code: 9C4X6J99+GQ

Entry Name: Rose Cottage

Listing Date: 18 August 1983

Last Amended: 6 July 2011

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1114874

English Heritage Legacy ID: 36421

ID on this website: 101114874

Location: Colmworth, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK44

County: Bedford

Civil Parish: Colmworth

Traditional County: Bedfordshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Bedfordshire

Church of England Parish: Colmworth

Church of England Diocese: St.Albans

Tagged with: Cottage Thatched cottage

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Summary


C18 timber-framed cottage with C20 extensions.

Description


MATERIALS: Timber-framed building, rendered overall, under a thatched roof with a scalloped ridge and off-centre, red-brick chimney stack. Late-C20 extensions have clay tile-covered, pitched roofs.

PLAN: Original C18 cottage of two storeys and two bays. C20 extensions to side and rear.

EXTERIOR: In the original cottage the first bay has single casement windows and the second bay has two-light casements. All the windows are modern timber casements with one, two or three lights. A late-C20, two-storey extension with a projecting single-storey porch to the north has been added to the side (north), and a single-storey extension under a lean-to roof to the rear.

INTERIOR: The timber framing of the original two-storey, two-unit cottage is largely intact. A roughly chamfered bridging beam survives, as do the majority of the joists. The original rear frame, which is roughly scored on the outer side of the timbers, survives at both ground- and first-floor level. It has vertical panels with down braces from the top of the main posts to the cross-rail, and from there to the replaced sill beam. An opening in the framing was probably a doorway to the outshut, as mortices on the posts indicate where a door may have been hung. The extent to which the front wall frame at ground-floor level survives is less clear. In the smaller room only two studs are exposed on either side of the window; however, it is possible that the remaining wall frame may be hidden by the render. A cut in the sill beam below the window in the larger room indicates the former position of the door. At first-floor level the intact front wall framing is exposed. Both the north and south cross frames are intact at first-floor level but, again, it is less clear to what extent the framing has survived on the ground floor. On the north cross frame a horizontal timber is exposed just below the bridging beam which may have been a lintel for a door or window. On the south cross frame the timber framing on the west half is exposed. The partition wall between the larger and smaller rooms retains the framing around the door and the small section of the middle rail on the east side up to the fireplace. The single-framed roof with purlins is predominantly intact with only a few replacement timbers. The roof is lined with felt but the wattle and daub is exposed at the gable ends. The north tie beam has been truncated to allow access to the extension.

The modern extensions to the cottage, and the garage and swimming pool in the garden, do not contribute to its special architectural or historic interest.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 19/07/2011

History


Rose Cottage was constructed in the C18 as a typical two-storey two-unit cottage with the ground floor divided by a partition into a larger and smaller room, and sleeping quarters upstairs. It has since been altered and considerably extended. The Ordnance Survey (OS) map from 1884 shows a small extension in the middle of the rear (west) side. The 1901 OS map shows that this has been further extended to become level with the north side of the cottage. In the record created for Rose Cottage for the Rating and Valuation Act (1925), it was observed that there was a small scullery at the rear and that a small washhouse adjoined the property, which stood in one fifth of an acre. It is likely that these rooms were located in the rear extension. The current rear extension dates to 1988 when the cottage was also extended on the north side to create a kitchen and dining room. In 1996 a porch and downstairs cloakroom were added to the east side of the north extension. In 2000 a garage and swimming pool were built in the garden, and in 2006 a conservatory was added to the north side. The additions have been built around the historic core of the cottage, leaving the original C18 timber framing relatively intact. The staircase, doors, and windows have been lost (the latter replaced to match those on the later extensions), although there is evidence in the framing to indicate the former location of the apertures. The fire hood has not survived and the current fireplace and chimney stack probably date to the C19. In the larger room of the original cottage, the beam running parallel to the bridging beam is a false one used to conceal the routing of the plumbing.

Reasons for Listing


Rose Cottage is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: the building is a good example of a small, C18, two-unit cottage in the local vernacular tradition, demonstrating the construction of late timber-framing
* Survival of original fabric: despite the late C20 extensions, the historic core of the original C18 cottage survives largely intact

External Links

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