Ashton Cottage

Ashton Cottage is a 17th-century lodge, originally belonging to Ashton Gifford House, and later altered in the late 18th century. It is now a detached cottage. The building is constructed of rendered cob with a hipped thatched roof, featuring a baffle entry. There are two axial brick stacks, arranged diagonally. The cottage is single-storey with an attic, and has two windows on its front elevation. A central planked door is set within a thatched porch, flanked by casement windows with semi-circular heads and Y-shaped glazing bars. Two attic dormers, also with semi-circular heads and matching casements, are situated above. A canted bay window with cast-iron hexagonal glazing bars, and a more recent top-hung window to the attic, is visible on the left return, which originally faced the drive to Ashton Gifford House. A 20th-century French window is located on the right return. The rear elevation features a central outshut under the thatch, and two attic dormers with semi-circular heads. A 20th-century lean-to extension is set to the right. Internally, a restored open fireplace with a lintel on brick jambs is in the south room, while the north room contains a blocked fireplace. The cottage was known as West Lodge and occupied as two dwellings until 1964.