Davreen Red Lion Cottage

Red Lion Cottage and Davreen, North Molton

A pair of houses, possibly formerly one building, located on the south side of the square in North Molton. The buildings probably date to the late 16th or early 17th century, with possible 18th or 19th century alterations or additions, and were substantially remodelled in the mid 20th century.

The exterior is rendered over stone, with the rear elevation of coursed stone rubble. The roofs are covered with scantle slate, though the gable end features a 20th century asbestos-slate roof. The chimney stacks have been rebuilt to their tops in 20th century brick. The building is two storeys throughout.

The left-hand building, known as Red Lion Cottage, contains a 2-room plan main range consisting of a hall to the right with a projecting square bay to the front and an end stack to the right with a winder stair to the rear, alongside a smaller unheated room to the left. The entrance to this smaller room is to the left, with a blocked entrance to the right of the square bay. A probable 18th century former dairy is located to the rear of the hall. The right-hand building, known as Davreen, follows a one-room plan with an entrance passage and staircase to the left (possibly a former cross passage) and two rooms, divided longitudinally, to the right with integral corner stacks at the right-hand end. Local tradition records that this house was gutted by fire at some point, necessitating the replacement of all internal partitions.

The front elevation is asymmetrical. The left-hand house features a roughly central hipped-roofed square bay containing a probably 20th century first-floor small-paned 3-light wooden casement and a large ground-floor 20th century small-paned wooden casement with deep reveals chamfered to the top. The old list describes a moulded wooden lintel to this window, probably formerly supporting a wooden mullioned window, though this was not confirmed at the time of survey in September 1987. Above the ground-floor window is a carved stone woolmark of Thomas Parker. To the right of the bay, the first-floor features a probably late 18th or early 19th century sixteen-pane glazing bar sash window, with a 20th century small-paned window below (occupying the position of a former doorway, evident from a recess) and a 20th century small-paned window further left. A 20th century boarded door is positioned at the far left. The right-hand house displays a pair of first-floor 20th century small-paned 2-light wooden casements, a central ground-floor 20th century small-paned 3-light wooden casement, and a 20th century half-glazed door to the left. The dairy wing to the rear has a small side window with wooden lintel and boarded internal shutters.

The interior ground floor of the right-hand room (hall) of Red Lion Cottage contains a 17th century deep-chamfered half beam to the right, positioned above the fireplace. A 17th century open stone fireplace with dressed-stone splayed reveals, a 20th century chamfered wooden lintel, and a brick-arched bread oven occupy the right side of the room. A cupboard with a boarded door is positioned to the left of the fireplace. The window seat within the bay retains 17th century panelling alongside some 19th century matchboarding. A 17th century oak winder staircase sits in a semi-circular well to the rear of the fireplace, with a 19th century boarded door at its foot. The ground-floor rooms of the right-hand house (Davreen) were remodelled in the 20th century. The first-floor rooms and roofspace were not inspected at the time of survey.

Thomas Parker, commemorated by the woolmark above the window, was a local wool stapler.