Ivy Cottages

Ivy Cottages comprises three cottages formed by the subdivision of an earlier farmhouse. The building dates to the early to mid-18th century, with some 19th-century alterations and further changes around 1950 when the farmhouse was divided. The walls are plastered brick, and originally featured red brick with dark headers (as noted in a previous list description). Brick stacks and chimneyshafts rise from the roof, which is thatched.

The original farmhouse had a U-shaped plan. The main block, facing north-east, originally had a three-room-and-cross-passage layout. The left-hand (south-eastern) room was the parlour, with a rear lateral stack serving back-to-back fireplaces. A single-room rear block projects to the rear. Adjacent to the parlour is the cross passage, which leads to the original main stair block, also projecting to the rear. These elements now form Cottage No. 1. The central room of the main block was originally a dining room, featuring a rear lateral stack and now constituting Cottage No. 2. Cottage No. 3 occupies the original kitchen at the right end, with a gable-end stack, and also incorporates the former dairy/service block projecting at right angles to the rear, overlapping the end. The building appears to be a single phase, dating from the early to mid-18th century.

The cottages present an irregular four-window front with 20th-century casement windows containing glazing bars. The original front doorway, positioned slightly left of centre (leading to Cottage No. 1), has a 19th-century part-glazed panelled door. Cottage No. 2 features a 20th-century door located a little right of centre, and Cottage No. 3 has a 20th-century door within a 20th-century lean-to porch on the right end. The roof is half-hipped to the left and gable-ended to the right.

Internally, the cottages have been modernized in the 20th century, but much original structure and joinery remains. The main stair in Cottage No. 1 is an original dogleg stair, with an open string, shaped stair brackets, turned newel posts, a moulded flat handrail, thick stick balusters to the main flights, and turned balusters to the landing balustrade. Most fireplaces are blocked, but the one in the rear block of Cottage No. 1 is exposed, featuring a brick design with a curving pent (back) and a plain oak lintel. The kitchen fireplace in Cottage No. 3 has been substantially rebuilt. There are several fielded two-panel doors. The roof structure consists of A-frame trusses with pegged and spiked lap-jointed collars.

Farmhouses of this date are rare in Devon, reflecting the decline in Devon’s traditional woollen industry during that period.