Winswood Winswood Cottage Winswood Spinney

Winswood Cottage, Winswood and Winswood Spinney

A farmhouse on Park Road in Crediton, divided into a house and two cottages. The building has mid-17th century origins with late 17th century extensions and thorough remodelling around the 1890s.

The structure is constructed of roughcast cob with a thatched roof featuring a plain ridge and brick chimney stacks. The plan consists of Winswood at the centre, a mid-17th century three-room arrangement with a late 17th century addition to the far left. Winswood Cottage adjoins to the right and represents a late 17th century one-room plan addition. Winswood Spinney is probably a late 19th century remodelling and extension of what was originally a lean-to structure beneath the hipped end of Winswood.

The building presents as two storeys. Winswood and Winswood Cottage have an asymmetrical front of four windows to the left section and two to the right, set beneath a hipped thatched roof, with two additional windows to the 19th century addition at the right end. A probably 18th century gabled thatched porch with turned timber posts and a room over sits to the right of centre on Winswood. A probably late 19th century eight-panel front door with panelled reveals and an 18th century panelled door to the right-hand room with a flat porch hood on brackets are both present. Winswood retains probably late 19th century twelve-pane sashes with margin panes and matching French windows—one on the first floor and two on the ground floor. One surviving late 17th or early 18th century ground floor three-light casement with square leaded panes and original window furniture remains to the right of centre. Two attic windows break through the thatch. Winswood Cottage displays one late 17th century ground floor three-light casement with square leaded panes in the thatched block and two first floor 19th century timber three-light casements with glazing bars. The single-storey addition at the right end has a timber shingle roof, half-hipped at the right end, with two 20th century timber casements and a 20th century timber front door.

The rear elevation facing Park Road is impressively long with sparse openings. Winswood features a shallow canted projection to the first floor left of centre and a probably late 19th century round-headed small-pane sash with margin panes to the right of centre, lighting the stair. Three very small 20th century first floor windows and one 20th century timber ground floor three-light casement with glazing bars are also present. The thatched part of Winswood Cottage to the left retains a disused 19th century plank and cover strip door with an overlight to the right of centre, alongside a late 19th century ground floor oriel with high transomed casement windows. The first floor window is a late 19th century two-light casement with glazing bars and margin panes. The single-storey shingled addition has three small 20th century timber windows. Winswood Spinney to the right has a UPVC window to the ground floor. The thatch is carried down as a verandah on posts at the right (east) end.

Interior features include a good mid-17th century parlour fireplace in the ground floor room left of the porch, with local volcanic trap moulded ashlar jambs and an oak ovolo-moulded lintel. This room is entirely fitted out with late 19th century painted panelling, including fielded panelled doors with moulded doorcases, timber panelled ceiling, boxed cornice, Jacobean-derived overmantel and bolection-moulded chimney-piece. The panelling incorporates an integral writing desk. The left-hand room is similarly fitted out. The room right of the porch retains a mid-17th century ovolo-moulded crossbeam with scroll stops and a 20th century chimney-piece. The right-hand room retains parts of an early 19th century cornice. The first floor includes some early 18th century doors alongside late 19th century doors with fielded panels. A pretty 18th century bedroom on the first floor left of centre retains its original ceiling rose, moulded cornice and frieze. The room over the porch was originally heated, though the stack has since been dismantled. The interior of Winswood Cottage displays a late 17th century chamfered cross beam with scroll nick stop.

The roof of Winswood comprises a circa mid-17th century three-bay A-frame over the centre and right end, with trusses featuring through purlins, lap-dovetailed pegged collars augmented with metal fixings, original rafters, diagonally-set ridge and battens. The date 1897 with initials WB and EG is scratched in the plaster on the right end stack. The feet of principal rafters in Winswood Cottage indicate a 17th century A-frame roof.

Winswood was originally a farmhouse on the edge of East Town with land extending south-west, now covered by 20th century development. Mrs Drake of Winswood funded the 1920s restoration of the chapel of St Lawrence, Landscore.