The Gothic Cottage

STOURTON WITH GASPER STOURHEAD GARDENS ST 73 SE (west side) 6/152 The Gothic Cottage (formerly listed as 6.1.66 The Rustic Cottage) GV Detached cottage and garden feature. Probably mid C18, altered late C18 and 1806 for Richard Colt Hoare. Dressed limestone and rubble stone, stone slate roof with half-hip to right and stone stack to left. Single-storey, 1-window. Entrance at right return in 1806 stone porch with pointed arched openings, planked door with strap hinges, 3-light leaded casement over. Front facing lake has canted stone bay with 4-light interlaced tracery window to front and 2-light to sides, leaded lights, gothic-style stone seat with ogee-arched supports and quatrefoiled panelled back by John Carter, added 1806. External stack to left return. Rear lean-to extension with corrugated iron roof. Interior has two beams to removed upper floor, exposed 4-bay collar and tie-beam roof, open fireplace with plain wooden surround at west end. The 1806 seat has ogee arches very similar to those on circular monument in the churchyard (q.v.). This may originally have been a dwelling but has been a summer house since 1895 at least. (K. Woodbridge, The Stourhead Landscape, 1982; N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Wiltshire, 1975)

Listing NGR: ST7711134007