Description

MOLLAND
SS 8028-8128
20/74 Nos 1, 2 and 3, Church Gate
Cottages
20.2.67
GV II
House, possibly originally the church house, now divided into 3 cottages. Circa
1500, altered in the early to mid-Cl9. Extended probably in the C18. Refenestrated
in the mid to late C19 and interior probably altered at the same time when the house
was probably divided. Dressed sandstone to left, rendered to left and right,
probably over cob. Eaves raised, probably in cob. Gabled-ended slate roof, formerly
thatched (removed in the late 1960s). Rendered stone stacks.
Plan and Development: Plan confused due to alterations. Possibly formerly 3-room
and cross passage plan. Faces south. Late-Medieval open hall house, probably
formerly consisting of hall with former inner room to left and cross passage to right
with service room beyond. Present cross pasage in right-hand house possibly on line
of medieval cross passage but probably a later alteration. If the medieval cross
passage was at this end of the hall it was probably further to the left of the
present passage. House formerly open to the roof, continuously from end to end,
probably divided by low wooden partitions. C17 alterations included the insertion of
the first floor, the insertion of an axial stack at the left-hand end of the probable
former hall and the insertion of end stacks to service and inner room, that to the
right-hand end (probable former service room). Eaves raised at some time, possibly
also in the C17. Lean-to additions to rear of uncertain date. Later, probably C18
1-roomed addition to left. 2-storeys.
Exterior: Asymmetrically-fenestrated front, with 6 windows to first floor and 5 to
ground floor; late C19 2-and 3-light wooden casements. Left-hand ground-floor window
with segmental stone arched head and second ground-floor window from left with C20
concrete lintel. C20 half-glazed door between first and second ground floor windows
from left with flat stone arch and rendered C20 partly old boarded door between
second and third windows from left with pegged wooden frame and C20 gabled porch, and
boarded door between first and second windows from right (to centre of right-hand
cottage) with glazed panel and approached by C20 concrete steps. Probably C18
addition to left has old boarded door with strap hinges.
Interior: Only partly inspected at time of survey (July 1987). Putative hall
(ground-floor of centre cottage) with C17 deep-chamfered cross beam and half beam.
Stairs to rear of hall (probably inserted). Stairs to rear of hall (probably
inserted). Cupboard under stairs with H-L hinges. Ground floor of right-hand
cottage has plastered chamfered spine beam with runout stops. Windows in ground-
floor room to left of right-hand door (right-hand cottage) have seats and jambs wider
than present casements. Right-hand bedroom of left-hand cottage has C18 wall
cupboard with raised and fielded panel. Largely complete late-Medieval smoke-
blackened roof, only right-hand inspected at time of survey. 2 smoke-blackened
trusses noted, possibly jointed crucks, 1 to left-hand side of cross passage in
right-hand cottage and the other to its left, possibly at the division between the
centre and right-hand cottage (at the right-hand end of the putative hall). Each
truss with cambered collar (right-hand one possibly arch braced) and notched mortice
and tenoned apex. Medieval roof also with trenched purlins and diagonally-set ridge-
piece. A large number of smoke-blackened rafters and battens survive too. Mortices
in underside of collar of right-hand truss suggest that it was closed at some time,
but probably not initially as it is smoke-blackened in both sides. Later truss
between Medieval trusses.
This is a substantial Medieval house of uncertain plan, which does not appear to have
been a farmhouse. It stands close to the Church of Saint Mary and may have been the
church house. It deserves further investigation.

Listing NGR: SS8076128395

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26508415

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

• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)