West Cottage At Shepherds Dene

BROOMHAUGH AND RIDING

1616/0/10007 RIDING MILL 24-JUN-04 West Cottage at Shepherds Dene

GV II Cottage built in 1907, designed by W Dixon, architects, of Newcastle, altered 1928 and subsequently. Snecked sandstone with ashlar dressings with roof in graduated stone slabs and roll-moulded stone ridge. South-facing verandah with stone platform, timber superstructure and stone slate roof. Two storeys with a central doorway and two windows. Left hand window is a projecting four-light square plan timber window on a stone plinth within the structure of the verandah which continues to the right in front of the door and right hand window. Modern door and widened doorway. Other windows to front are all three lights with stone mullions, plain sills and lintels and alternate block jambs. Ground floor windows have transoms with leading in upper parts. First floor windows extend into gabled dormers with vent slits. Chimney stacks at each end with projecting coping and moulded round yellow pots. East end gable has two ground floor windows, one of three lights with stone mullions,and one single light, and two first floor windows, one single and one two light with stone mullion. West gable is identical with omission of single light ground floor window. A rear yard is enclosed by a wall which is continuous with the house. Entrance door in this on east side forms back door of house. INTERIOR: Fairly symmetrical layout of four ground floor and four first floor rooms. Former central corridor to front door removed to enlarge room in left hand bay. Fireplace in this room intact and in similar C18 style to those in Shepherd's Dene main house. All windows original and with similar fittings to those in main house. Rear upper rooms are built into the eaves which form catslide roof down to ground floor level at the rear. In 1928 the house was divided into two dwellings, at which time the rear door at the back of the east gable end was the entrance to one half of the house. It is probable that the removal of the central corridor dates to the same time. At some point it was restored as a single house as it remains now. West Cottage is one of a group of buildings on the Shepherd's Dene estate which, although physically separated, form a group in terms of date, building materials and overall style.