Armada Cottage Beggars Roost

SS 53 SE 7/5 25.2.65

BISHOPS TAWTON Armada Cottage, Beggars Roost and No.3 Eastacombe (formerly listed as nos 1, 2 and 3 Eastacombe Cottages)

II

Farmhouse, now 3 cottages. Probably early C16, remodelled and extended in C17. C20 alterations. Painted rendered cob and stone. Thatch roof half-hipped at left end. Tall rendered rubble stack with pronounced batter, drip and tapered cap. Axial stone rubble stack (formerly end stack) to right with brick stack at right end. Originally probably a 3-room and through-passage, now cross-passage, formerly open hall, plan, the lower end formerly a barn or shippon now converted to part of dwelling. Inner room possibly rebuilt and extended in late C16/early C17 to form 2 rooms, and 2-storey cottage added in late C17 at right end with a short right- angled projection to front with gabled slate roof forming overall off-centre T- shaped plan. 2 storeys. 6 1/2-window range. C20 fenestration of 2-light casements, 6 panes per light with eyebrow dormers. Hall window built out in line with stack. Cross-passage doorway has moulded timber surround with cranked head. Thatched porch to centre cottage. Chamfered door surround to right-hand end cottage with old 2 plank door. Interior: stop-chamfered beams to principal ground floor rooms except at shippon end. Right end cottage has scroll-stopped chamfered door surround at head of old stairs with original treads. Similar door surround to doorway possibly originally at head of stairs beside axial stack. C17 truss with straight heavy principals over end cottage. Main roof truss removed to Beggars Roost and 2 raised cruck trusses over hall and cross-passage, the lower end of the cross-passage forming solid cob partition to apex of roof. Access only to roof space over shippon end but exposed roof timbers over hall suggest smoke-blackening may well extend over hall and possibly inner room.

Listing NGR: SS5794930165