Broomhill Cottage

Broomhill Cottage

Broomhill Cottage is an estate cottage, probably built in the mid-19th century by an architect unknown. It stands approximately 400 metres north-west of Antony House, positioned to the west of the main drive connecting the house to the quay at Antony Passage on the River Lynher. The cottage is set against Jupiter Plantation, with views towards Antony House and the parkland, and the Forder Viaduct can be seen to the north through the trees.

The cottage is constructed of red sandstone rubble from the Pole-Carew's quarry at Sheviock Wood, with ashlar dressings and a Delabole slate roof. The rear extension is built from slatestone. The building is cross-shaped in plan, orientated north-east to south-west, and comprises two storeys (the upper level mainly within the attic) with a double-height bay on the south-east side and a 20th-century single-storey extension to the north-west.

The principal south-east elevation comprises three bays. The left-hand entrance bay features a stilted pointed-head archway with ashlar dressings and a timber-panelled door. The gabled central bay projects slightly and contains a canted bay-window with a slate hipped roof, lit by four casements divided by stone mullions on the ground floor, with a two-light window with hoodmould above. The right-hand bay has a further two-light window with hoodmould at ground-floor level. The south-west elevation has two-light windows with hoodmoulds at both ground and first-floor levels, whilst the north-east elevation has one at first-floor level only. The eaves on each of these elevations are slightly swept with exposed purlins. A single-storey lean-to extension to the rear is slightly offset, with 20th-century windows featuring faux-lattice glazing and a central doorway. A small rooflight sits on the roof slope. The structure features ashlar quoins and dressings to window and door surrounds, a pitched slate roof with deep eaves, and a stone axial stack.

The interior is entered through a small hallway with a red and black quarry-tile floor, adjoining a former pantry which retains meat hooks to its ceiling and shares a two-light window split by the dividing wall. A triangular-arch doorway with vertical-boarded timber door leads from the entrance to the former dining room, which features a canted bay-window with deep reveals and a slate flagstone floor. The north wall contains a Rayburn within an inglenook fireplace topped by a heavy timber lintel, with a recessed cupboard fitted with glazed double-doors above a separate cupboard with matchboard-timber doors to its right. A single scrolled console bracket projects at high level to the left of the inglenook. A further triangular-arch doorway on the east side leads to the rear extension. The staircase is set on the west wall opposite a triangular-arch doorway leading to the former lounge, which features one window with deep canted reveals on the east side, a boarded floor, and a fireplace with a slate hearth and heavily-moulded stone fire-surround with console brackets, now fitted with a modern wood-burning stove. Fitted cupboards with glazed doors above and timber-matchboard below are positioned to the left of the fireplace. The principal rooms retain moulded timber picture rails, plain skirting boards, and architraves. The rear extension contains a small kitchen and WCs with late 20th-century fixtures and finishes.

The staircase has a plain timber handrail with no baluster, leading to a small landing with a stick baluster and newel. Three triangular-arch doorways with vertical-boarded timber doors open from the landing to former bedrooms, now used as cafe seating, a gallery, and storage. The stud-partition wall and doorway to the central bedroom may be a later addition. The northern bedroom features a two-light window within a deep reveal on its north side and a fireplace with a cast-iron grate and slate hearth to the south, with a recessed cupboard (no door) beside it. The central bedroom, within the projecting bay, has an identical fireplace on its north side and a two-light window to the east. The southern bedroom has a fitted cupboard with a full-height ledged timber door on the west side. Exposed stop-chamfered ceiling rafters to the first purlin are visible in each room, and all have boarded floors throughout. Windows across the cottage are set within stone surrounds with stone mullions and have cast-iron lattice glazing bars; opening casements are cast-iron framed with wrought-iron catches.