West Cottage

CROMER

892/0/10021 LOUDEN ROAD 14-SEP-04 West Cottage

GV II House. Mid/late C18 with C19 alterations. Coursed flint cobble with red brick dressings and Roman tile roof with end stacks. Central entrance plan at present with later full length rear outshut. Gable end to street. 2 storeys and attic. Front faces right: a 4-window range at first floor of 6/6 sashes in brick surrounds with flat arches. Below are C19 canted bays under pentice roofs either side a part-glazed door. There is a dentil eaves cornice and 2 flat-roofed dormers with 2/2 sashes. Right end has an attic window and a small window to ground floor right within a blocked former doorway. To the rear the outshut has 2 2/2 sashes on each floor. Left end has a single storey extension with French windows, a door, a small window and a conservatory and another small window in the top gable. INTERIOR retains a small winder stair at either gable end, rising from ground floor to attic and each accessed by doors on both floors. There are many 2-panel doors, mostly with HL hinges. Open fireplace with bressumer. 2 bedrooms have early C19 fireplace surrounds with mid C19 cast-iron grates. Softwood staggered butt purlin roof with carpenter's marks. Collars removed. HISTORY. The evidence suggests that this house may have been 2 cottages at one time, one of them serving as the Vicarage to the Rev.Sharp (Vicar of Cromer 1837-52) before the present Vicarage was built. The house was subsequently the first Cromer Cottage Hospital 1866-1888. It had 6 beds, increased to 7 when another room was added on the ground floor in 1874 for accident cases (probably the extension to right). The hospital served not only Cromer and Sheringham but many surrounding villages. In the early C20 it appears to have been a school master's house for it is described as 'school cottage' in 1924. SOURCES. Cromer Museum, Typescript 'Early Days of the Cromer Cottage Hospital' by Major H.C.Dent. Leaflet 'West Cottage' prepared by the current owners. West Cottage is an C18 house which retains a little-altered interior and has an unusual history evidencing early hospital provision for a seaside town and its surroundings. It forms a good group with Holly Cottage (q.v.) next door.