Description

NORTH BOVEY NORTH BOVEY
SX 78 SW
4/226 Chancery Cottage, Stone Cross and
-
23.8.55 Church Gate Cottage, North Bovey.
(formerly listed as Church Cottage and
GV
the stores)
II

Group of attached cottages; Chancery Cottage and part of stone cross originally one
house, other part of stone cross and Church Gate Cottage originally a later pair of
very small cottages. Main range circa early C16 date stone of 1738 refers to porch,
considerably altered in C20; adjacent pair of cottages C18. Rendered granite rubble
walls, exposed at rear, with thatched roof hipped to right and gabled where it joins
adjacent cottage to left, cottage roof thatched, hipped at front and gabled at rear.
Main range has axial granite rubble stack with granite cap to right of centre and
brick axial stack to left of centre; brick axial stack to cottage.
Plan of main range (Chancery Cottage and most of Stone Cross). 3-room-and-through-
passage with hall and lower end originally open to roof. Hall stack inserted
backing onto the passage and fireplace added to lower end, inner room remained
unheated. Further room added at lower end, probably in C17, likely to have been a
dairy as there are no rear outshuts due to the rise in ground level. Porch added to
front of passage in 1738 from date-stone on it. The remainder of Stone Cross and
Church Gate Cottage added in C18 as adjacent pair of cottages at right angles to the
main block with 1 ground floor room each originally, heated by central stack. C20
outshut added to Stone Cross as shop front. Main range divided in C19/C20 into 2
cottages at the lower wall of the through passage with Chancery Cottage to the right
upper end and Stone Cross to the left lower end. Stone Cross now extends into one
of the adjacent cottages added at right angles to the lower end.
2 storeys. Main range has asymmetrical 4-window front with large gabled rendered
stone 2-storey porch with thatched roof and small centred oriel window to 1st floor.
Other windows 2-light late C19/early C20 casements floor incorporating a small store
room in its left-hand side with a shallow lean-to projection as its front wall left
of the opening. Wide doorway to through passage with C20 plank door in C16 wooden
doorframe chamfered with depressed 4-centred arch. Slate roof outshut to left of
porch extending to adjoining block with C20 plank door to right of centre and large
C20 3-light single pane windows either side. Thatch rises in 'eyebrow' over first
floor window in left of porch. At lower left end Church Gate Cottage and its
adjoining part of Stone Cross is taller than the main range and faces away from it
at right angles. It has a symmetrical 2-window front with as the ground floor 2
windows to the centre and a door either side. 3-light casements with glazing bars,
1st floor over probably C19 ground floor C20. C20 stable type door to right with
shallow wooden gabled C20 porch to left with double plank doors.
Interior of Stone Cross only inspected, Chancery Cottage inaccessible at time of
survey but apparently has granite ashlar back to hall fireplace facing onto passage
with moulded cornice and plinth according to previous list description.
On the first floor of Stone Cross in the room above the passage a very substantial
roof truss is exposed up to collar level which is arguably smoke-blackened on both
sides. It has pronounced curve but no visible joint with a broad chamfer and a
curved collar morticed into the truss. Feet not visible. Roof at lower end
replaced probably in C19, access to higher end roof space difficult. In the room
formerly belonging to C18 cottage is a small open fireplace with rough wooden
lintel.
Clearly some fabric of the late Medieval home survives in this property despite
considerably alterations and it is likely that more early features are to be found
inside Chancery Cottage.

Listing NGR: SX7397783863

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26461792

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

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)