Rosecare Villa Farm Cottage, The Hayloft and The Byre, St. Gennys, Cornwall

Summary

A farm cottage, former shippen and former stables of late-C17/ early-C18 date, associated with Rosecare Villa Farm (Grade II).

Description

A cottage, former shippen and former stables of late-C17/ early-C18 date with C19 and C20 alterations. The former shippen with hayloft over and stables were converted to residential use in the C20. The former stables is of 1720 date and was designed for himself by Mr Stacey.

MATERIALS: built of slatestone rubble, the south elevation of the cottage is rendered. The east (farmyard) elevation of the former stables is clad in large bolted slates with weatherboarding above. The oak roof structures are covered in slate and the C19 brick chimney stack to the cottage is rendered.

PLAN: the original plan is a single-unit cottage (east end) with an attached shippen and hayloft over (west end), divided by a chimney. Attached to the west is a single-storey outshut. The west end has been remodelled for living accommodation and the central stair removed. Access to the first floor of the building is via a rebuilt external stair to the hayloft door. The outshut at west end opens into the single-storey range of former stables. The latter is two stables under a gabled roof, extended to the north in the C20 to adjoin the outshut.

EXTERIOR: of two storeys under a hipped slate roof with central ridge stack. The south (farmyard) front is rendered and has modified openings. To the left is a modern freestanding porch. The east elevation is as two-window entrance front with cottage door to the right in an enclosed modern porch. Projecting from the north-east corner is a C19 outshut, that has been extended in the later C20. The north front has a sealed opening above the pantry roof and to the right are a set of concrete stairs to a hayloft door with a shallow canopy carried on timber brackets. The earlier stairs have been covered by the later set. To their right is a modern clinic extension* clad in weatherboarding. The west flank of the cottage is slate hung above the outshut roof and there is a small opening in the north elevation of the outshut. Brickwork at the junction of the cottage and the outshut indicates that the latter may be of C19 date.

The former stables has two sealed door openings and two inserted windows in the slate hung farmyard elevation. The right end of the roof was extended in the C20. The west elevation is rendered except the left bay, a C20 construction of red brick, which includes a modern door. The south gable end has an attached garden wall* of late-C20 date.

INTERIOR: the cottage parlour had a slatestone fireplace with bressumer and on the right a cast- iron oven door. To the first floor the oak roof structure is exposed and has long-pegged principals in the manner of C17 construction. The chimney breast divides the space and there is a C19 fireplace with cast-iron grate in the bedroom. There are C20 and C21 partitions and fittings to both floors.

The interior of the former stables has three exposed oak trusses which are roughly carved and have curved collars and long pegs. The room now serves as a kitchen and connects with the cottage outshut via two thick-walled door openings separated by a narrow passage.

* Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that these aforementioned features are not of special architectural or historic interest.

History

Rosecare Villa Cottage is historically linked with the adjacent farm, which was rebuilt in 1720 by the then owner Mr Stacey. A figure in the slate trade, Stacey remodelled the farmhouse (separately listed at Grade II), and designed the stable block, which is of early-C18 date. The cottage is of the same date or slightly earlier. In the C21, the stable block is attached to the west end of Rosecare Villa Cottage although it was originally a separate structure. The Ordnance Survey Map of 1906 shows the stables as separate with a gap between it and the outshut at the west end of Rosecare Villa Cottage. A wall links the outshut and stables. In the later C20 the gap was infilled and the stables were converted to residential use.

In 2017 the cottage and former stables (The Hayloft and The Byre) are in use as private accommodation following a period as holiday accommodation. Some historic building features have been altered or replaced during the conversion process. A single-storey extension was built against the north-west elevation of the cottage, serves as a clinic and is not of special interest.

Reasons for Listing

Rosecare Villa Cottage, The Hayloft and The Byre, St Genny’s, Cornwall, a farm cottage, former shippen and stables of C17/C18 date are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* the buildings are articulate examples of the Cornish vernacular style as part of an ensemble. They retain well-crafted features in quality materials;

* the general internal layout of buildings and some features survive, and add to the interest of this farmstead;

* degree of survival: the buildings remain largely intact, albeit modified in some areas in accordance with changing needs;

Group value:

* the buildings have Group Value with Rosecare Villa Farm.

External Links

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