Description

SS 80 SE SANDFORD MILL LANE

3/297 No 10 and No 11
Rudge House

II

2 cottages, formerly a single house. Late C16-early C17, possibly earlier
core, modernised in late C19, probably when the house was converted to 2 or 3
cottages. Part is exposed coursed blocks of local red sandstone ashlar, the rest
is plastered cob on stone rubble footings; red sandstone ashlar stacks and chimney-
shafts, topped with C19 and C20 brick; corrugated asbestos roof, formerly thatch.
Plan and development: originally a 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing
east. No 10 at the left (south) end occupies the former inner room parlour and
hall, both of which have projecting front lateral stacks. No 11, Rudge House,
occupies the former passage and service end kitchen, the latter with a projecting
gable-end stack. The rear of the passage is now blocked by the staircase. This
appears to be a single phase building although the interior of No 10 was not
available for inspection at the time of this survey. 2 storeys with attics and
secondary service outshots to rear of Rudge House.
Exterior: the cottages overall have a particularly good front for Devon. The
hall and inner room end No 10 is ashlar stone and both stacks have weathered
offsets. Overall irregular 4-window front. The first floor windows are all
C17 and oak framed. At the left end a 2-light window with ovolo-moulded mullion,
left of centre a 3-light window with chamfered mullions, right of centre (over
the passage doorway) a late C17 3-light flat-faced mullion window and at the
right and a 2-light window with chamfered mullion. The middle two windows here
also contain rectangular panes of leaded glass, some of them very old and tinged
green. Both ground floor windows are C20 casements with glazing bars. The passage
front doorway (into Rudge House) is right of centre and still contains the original
oak doorframe; a Tudor arch with moulded surround and carved spandrels. The
plank door with coverstrips and plain wrought iron strap hinges is probably the
original. The doorway to No 10 at the left end was inserted in the late C19
and it contains a part-glazed plank door under an attractive gabled hood of that
date. The roof is gable-ended.
Interior: in No 11, Rudge House, the carpentry detail was mostly original.
The former service end kitchen has soffit-chamfered and step-stopped crossbeams.
The fireplace is partly-blocked. A later fireplace has cut through the oak lintel
although the piece left is now exposed. The first floor chamber has a soffit-
chamfered crossbeam. The full height crosswall on the lower passage side is
exposed in the attic and is a truss closed with close-studded oak framing. The
roof over the kitchen is carried on a side-pegged jointed cruck truss but due
to its rotten base is now (March 1987) about to be replaced. No 10 was not available
for inspection but similar, and probably higher quality, carpentry detail is
suspected. However it is reported that much of it is hidden by C19 plaster.
These cottages occupy an attractive and well-preserved late C16 early C17 house.

Listing NGR: SS8305002103

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26536319

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

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)