Burlas

Burlas is a house built around 1848, with some alterations and additions made in the late 20th century. It is constructed of brick on a sandstone base and features a rear stack. The building has a rectangular three-bay plan and is a single storey. The main east front is designed with a 1:3:1 bay arrangement; the central section slightly projects forward and is topped with a gable that has moulded bargeboards supported by shaped brackets. The outer bays contain 2-light late 20th-century casements in their original openings, while the central section features a half-glazed door flanked by plain glass windows also in original openings. There is a trefoil opening in a stone triangle at the apex of the gable. The rear of the house has undergone late 20th-century alterations and additions. Burlas is one of 40 similar Chartist houses in Dodford, which were built primarily on four-acre plots by the Chartist Land Company. Each small-holding was intended to provide its occupant with an independent livelihood and the chance to qualify for a county vote, as noted by W. Bond in "From Hamlet to Parish" published in 1972.