9-12 Free Cottages

9-12 Free Cottages is a block of four cottages built in 1861-62 as part of a group of free cottages for the elderly, funded by William Gibbs. The cottages are constructed of red brick with painted stone dressings and feature slate roofs, rendered chimney stacks, and cast iron rainwater goods, all designed in a Tudor style.

The cottages are situated on a bluff overlooking the River Exe, grouped with a school and church, also funded by Gibbs. The block faces a central vista down to the river and consists of four units, each with paired front doors in the center and entrances on the sides for the outer units. There are single-storey service blocks added to the rear.

The exterior is characterized by a symmetrical four-bay front, with the two-storey outer bays featuring gabled fronts that project slightly. The deep eaves and verges are supported by brackets. The original openings are made of painted stone with quoined jambs, and the windows are two and three-light transomed mullioned types with hoodmoulds, now fitted with 20th-century glazing. A central gabled porch features a stone Tudor arched doorway with plank doors, and there are gabled porches on the returns.

The interior has not been inspected but may retain interesting features. Historically, Mount Dinham was purchased by John Dinham to prevent it from being used as a fairground site. William Gibbs, originally from Exeter, was a guano merchant who became a banker, and an effigy of him can be found in St Michael's Church nearby. This block is part of an important group of Victorian philanthropic buildings designed to work together.