Churchtown Cottage

Churchtown Cottage is a house, possibly originating in the late 17th century, with an adjoining cottage built around the mid-19th century. It was reportedly used as a blacksmith’s shop and later divided into cottages, now combined into one dwelling. The structure is primarily stone rubble, with rendered concrete block replacing cob above the ground floor on the right-hand side. The cottage on the left has a slate roof with gable ends, a rendered stone rubble chimney stack and a brick shaft, while the earlier house to the right has an asbestos slate roof replacing thatch with gable ends and raised eaves. There are projecting stone rubble chimney stacks at the front and rear.

The earlier house on the right has undergone plan alterations, and its original arrangement is uncertain. A large, likely hall kitchen is on the left, heated by the front lateral stack. A thick stone rubble and cob wall separates the hall kitchen from a room at the upper end on the right. The cottage adjoining on the left has a two-room and cross-passage plan with a larger room on the left, heated by an end chimney stack. The cottage’s front elevation exhibits an almost symmetrical three-window design on the left and an asymmetrical four-window design on the right. The left cottage retains original 19th-century diamond-leaded glazing bars. Ground-floor windows on the left consist of a 19th-century three-light casement and a two-light casement, both with dressed stone segmental relieving arches. A gabled, open timber porch with a 20th-century glazed double door is centrally located. Upper-floor windows feature three 19th-century gabled half-dormers with two-light casements. The range to the right has 20th-century windows. Ground-floor openings on the right include a three-light casement to the left of a blocked entrance, a front lateral chimney stack, and a 20th-century door to the far right. The upper floor includes four 20th-century casements, likely in original openings below the raised eaves. 20th-century outshuts and extensions are present at the rear.

Internally, the cottage on the left has had partitions removed to form a single large room and retains 19th-century ceiling beams. The range to the right retains several chamfered ceiling beams and 20th-century chimney pieces. The roof timbers were replaced around the 1970s. A photograph of the range prior to 20th-century alterations is owned by the current owner.

A later 19th-century blacksmith’s shop is attached to the rear, now converted into a garage and domestic use. The cottage is included for group value with Morval Church, located to the southwest.