Livesey Cottage

TQ 75 SW 2/252

TESTON LIVESEY STREET (west side) Livesey Cottage

GV II House. First half C17 with alterations in C19. 1937-38 and 1960-61. Timber-framed with stone plinth to gable end. Brick cladding to ground floor, render and weatherboard to first floor, plain tile roofs. Two cell lobby entry plan.

Development: this house began in C17 as a two cell lobby entry timber-framed house and this structure survives basically complete apart from the framing to the ground floor front wall. In C19 it was divided into two cottages with two doors to the front elevation. The rear was extended with paired hipped roof wings but the C17 timber-framed rear wall survives. In 1937-38 the building was returned to one occupation and the lobby entry re-instated. All the features on the front elevation date from this period. An additional single storey room was added on the north in 1960-61 but this is not of special interest.

Elevation: two storeys. Red and grey brick in Flemish bond to ground floor, rendered above. Irregular fenestration of five casements, four two-light multi-pane casements in pairs towards each end and central two-light casement. Ribbed door in small central gabled brick porch. Half-hipped roof with gablet to left. Central multiple brick ridge stack and projecting stack to right gable end.

Rear elevation has four windows, one three-light casement and two small paned sliding sashes below, smaller sliding sashes above, some may be C19.

Interior: exposed framing of fairly substantial nature in both ground floor rooms and especially upstairs, some carpenters' marks. Inglenook fireplace to ground floor left room with large bressumer beam and 1938 infill fireplace. Right room had blocked inglenook back to back with other and 1938 fireplace in gable wall. Modern stair but position of original stair evident. Diagonal bracing and jowelled posts visible on stair.

Roof: C17 structure complete apart from slight alteration where the rear wings have been added. Principal rafter roof with queen struts. Rafters halved and pegged at apex, no ridge pieces.GV

Listing NGR: TQ7021354308