Shinners Bridge House

A house, likely dating from the 17th century, with later additions and substantial alterations carried out in 1928-9 by Rex Gardner, the estate architect for Dartington Hall, for Roger Morel. The building is constructed of local limestone rubble, with a slate roof featuring hipped and gabled ends, and a gabled front. Axial and lateral chimney stacks are of stone rubble, with one central stack being a brick shaft.

The original layout is unclear due to extensive internal changes. The rear range is of single depth, with a lateral stack prominent on the front of the right-hand end. A front addition of one or two rooms, with a double-span gabled roof, was added approximately in the centre, and a third gabled addition was later placed to the left, creating the present triple-gabled front.

The front elevation has three windows, arranged in a triple-gabled configuration. The first-floor centre and right-hand windows are in chamfered openings with deeply chamfered timber lintels, including a mason's mistress and hoodmoulds. The centre and right-hand ground-floor windows have concrete lintels, while the ground-floor window to the left is now a French window, with a concrete lintel above the first-floor window. All windows are 20th-century metal-framed casements with leaded panes. To the right is the exposed front of the rear range, displaying a large lateral stack with a set-off slate capping and shaft. The rear (north) range has asymmetrical fenestration with concrete mullion windows, also with 20th-century metal-framed casements and leaded panes, and a 20th-century stone porch is situated to the left of centre.

Internally, Rex Gardner remodelled the house in 1928-9, replacing ceiling beams, reconfiguring internal partitions, and removing part of the floor in the rear range to create a staircase open to the roof. A large fireplace is located on the ground floor at the front, featuring a massive slate lintel, probably of later origin, with a chamfered soffit and stone rubble jambs. The roof structure exhibits collars lapped and pegged to the faces of the straight principals. Rex Gardner, who had studied furniture making under Stanley Parker at Letchworth and Ernest Gimson, incorporated this influence into the interior, particularly evident in the impressive timber staircase. It is said that Rex Gardener carried out some of the stonework himself, including the fireplaces.