Church Cottage

UPOTTERY UPOTTERY ST 20 NW 7/142 Church Cottage (formerly listed as 22.2.55 The Cottage, The Village) GV II

Cottage, probably on the site of (and maybe including some fabric of) the medieval church house. C17, maybe earlier in parts, with C18 and C19 alterations. Plastered local stone and flint rubble, maybe including sections of cob; stone rubble stacks topped with C19 brick; thatch roof. Plan: 4-room plan cottage facing north-east and backing onto the churchyard. The kitchen is at the left (south-east) end and has a gable-end stack. Tne dining room is alongside and it has an axial stack backing onto the kitchen. The 2 rooms at the right (north-west) end have an axial stack between. Only a limited internal inspection was available at the time of this survey but it seems that most of the original fabric has been covered by C19 plaster. It is therefore difficult to determine the original layout and its development. Furthermore the roof was not seen. The core of the house appears to be the middle 2 rooms. The cottage is 2 storeys with a service outshot in front of the kitchen end. Exterior: irregular 2-window front of C20 casements with glazing bars, the first floor ones rising a short distance into the eaves. The front doorway is right of centre and contains a late C19 - early C20 plank door behind a thatch-roofed porch. At the left end the eaves are carried down over the outshots. The main roof is gable-ended. Interior: although only limited access was available at the time of this survey it was clear that most was the result of a late C19 modernisation. Only the dining room has earlier features exposed. The crossbeam is roughly chamfered. The fireplace is blocked but it has an oak-framed front and is probably C17. All the rest of the carpentry detail is covered with C19 plaster. The house has had little C20 modernisation. The roof was not seen but is said to be made up of A-frame trusses. Church Cottage is the oldest house left in the village and forms part of an attractive group of listed buildings; most of the others are C19 and built by Lord Sidmouth.

Listing NGR: ST2020407583