Keppers Cottage 300 Metres To South West Of Trelaske

LEWANNICK SX 28 SE 2/6 Kepper's Cottage 300 metres to south-west of Trelaske II House. Probably mid C16, possibly with earlier origins. Stone rubble, rendered on front above ground floor. Slate roof with gable ends. Stone rubble end stacks. Plan: The house is built down the slope with the ground rising to right. The main range has a 2-room plan with C19 outshut to rear right and a 2-storey projection on front near centre. The house is probably the remains of a 3 room and cross or through passage plan house; the original hall on left with a hall-bay to front and inner room to right. The lower end and passage probably demolished in the C19. There is a thick cross wall with stud partition and closed truss between the putative hall and inner room. The roof structure above the inner room was replaced in the late C18 or C19. The roof structure above the hall was only partly accessible but it is possible that the feet of the trusses are sooty and blackened suggesting that the hall may have been open to the roof and heated by an open hearth. In the circa late C16 or early C17 an axial stack was probably inserted above the passage to heat the hall (this stack now the end stack on left), the first floor was inserted and probably contemporary, a 2-storey hall bay was added to front. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 3-window front with 2-storey projection near centre. The windows have been replaced in the C20. The gabled hall bay has a 3- light casement on ground floor and 2-light casement on first. 2-light casement to right and C20 porch and 1-light window to left. First floor with 2-light casement to right and small 1-light window to left. There is a blocked door opening in the left hand end with a stub of wall and straight joints in the gable end indicating that the house extended to left. There is a blocked opening in the rear elevation roughly opposite the hall projection. On the right hand gable end is a shallow corbelled projection above ground floor, possibly for a first floor fireplace or alternatively for a gardrobe. Any such opening is blocked on the interior. Interior: waney chamfered ceiling beams, roughly stopped with run-out stops in the hall. The lintel to the fireplaces is unmoulded and appears reused. The inner room has complete chamfered ceiling beams with stepped stops and similar moulded lintel to fireplace. The roof structure above the inner room has halved, lap-jointed and pegged apices and collars, the trusses roughly cut and unfinished. Only the higher side of the collar to the closed truss between the hall and inner room is visible. Above the hall, the feet of the principals are chamfered and at least one of the feet curved. They appear probably blackened, possibly from an open hearth fire and sooty. However, as only part of the roof was accessible the type of jointing and the extent of blackening is uncertain.

Listing NGR: SX2834880297