Lower Ash Cottage

STOKE FLEMING SX84NW ASH 5/143 Lower Ash Cottage

II

House. Circa early C17, with late C18 and late C19 alterations. Rendered stone rubble. Slate roof with half-hipped higher right hand end and gabled lower left end abutting adjoining house. Axial stack now at left end with C19 brick shaft and late C19 brick shaft to right hand end stack. Plan: Probably originally a 3-room and through or cross-passage plan house facing north east. The lower left hand (south east) end including the passage has been rebuilt as a separate house in the late C20. The former hall is heated from an axial stack at its lower left end and has a relative- ly large stair turret against the stack projecting at the back. The inner room at the right hand (north west) end was probably originally unheated and its stack must be a circa late C19 addition. There is an outshut in front of the hall with a loft above and a flight of steps at its right end against the porch to the doorway into the hall. The outshut and porch are additions of circa late C18 possibly when the lower end was demolished. Alternatively the original house might have had a 2-room plan in which case the existing doorway would have led to a cross-passage. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical north east front. To the left is a large 2-storey lean-to outshut with a catslide roof and external stairs in the right hand angle up to a first floor doorway in the side of the outshut. The stairs are built against a stone lean-to porch also in the angle end and which has a slated canopy to the doorway on the right hand side. Both the porch and the outshut have slate-hung side walls and C20 plank doors. 2 C20 casements on the ground floor of the outshut and one C20 2-light casement to the main range over the porch. The rear north west elevation is also asymmetrical with a large stair tur- ret to the right with splayed angle walls and a small single light stair window with an old casement. Two C20 2-light casements on each floor of the main range to the left. Interior: The former hall has chamfered cross-beams without stops; the fireplace at the lower end has a late C19 brick fireplace inserted into it and a small late C18 china cupboard to the side with shaped shelves and fluted pilasters. The former inner room has a chamfered axial beam with step stops at one end, a C20 fireplace and a small late C18 china cupboard. A C18 2-panel door between the inner room and hall. A wide newel staircase in the turret. The first floor has some C19 panelled doors. The principal rafters are not exposed in the first floor rooms and it is assumed that the original roof structure was replaced when the eaves were raised.

Listing NGR: SX8373949726