Manor Cottage Including Garden Area Wall Immediately To South

Manor Cottage, Dittisham

House, probably early 16th century, remodelled in circa late 16th or early 17th century, altered and extended in circa late 18th and/or 19th century; restored and extended again in late 20th century. Stone rubble with plastered front. Grouted scantle slate roof with gabled ends and red clay ridge tiles. Two large stone rubble stacks: the axial stack to the left of centre in front of the ridge has slate weathering; the right hand gable end stack is rendered.

The original house had a two-room plan with a central through passage. The lower end to the right is heated from a gable end stack. The hall to the left, with its axial stack backing onto the passage, may have been originally open to the roof and possibly heated from this stack when the house was first built. If it were an open hall house, the floors would have been inserted in circa late 16th or early 17th century. There are two stair turrets for newel stairs: one rising from the rear of the lower end of the hall next to the passage back doorway, the other newel staircase situated at the front of the lower end next to the passage front doorway. In circa late 18th or 19th century single storey outshuts were added to each end and possibly at that time a first floor doorway was inserted at the front for access to the chamber over the hall. In the late 20th century a small single storey extension was built behind the lower end; the passage was made into a small central room by moving the lower side partition; and the living accommodation was extended into the outshuts.

The exterior shows an asymmetrical three-window main range plus loft doorway at the left hand end of the front. Circa early 19th century two and three-light casements with glazing bars and slate sills and a small 19th century single-light stair window with glazing bars to the right of centre. A doorway at centre has a scantle slate lean-to canopy and late 20th century plank door. At the left end of the front are stone steps up to the former loft doorway with a 20th century glazed plank door. Set back at the left end is a late 18th or early 19th century lean-to with a half-hipped slate roof. At the right hand end is a circa late 18th or 19th century single storey outshut with a low-pitched scantle slate roof. The rear elevation has an asymmetrical arrangement of small 19th century two-light casements with glazing bars and 20th century garden doors to the right. To the right of centre the rear wall bulges and has two single-light windows lighting the newel stairs. To the left of centre is a late 20th century single storey outshut with a low-pitched hipped scantle slate roof and a late 20th century conservatory in the angle to the left.

The front garden area boundary wall immediately south of the house is probably early 19th century, mostly slate and limestone rubble. The wall terminates in a circular gate-pier at the right end and slopes with the incline of the road to which it acts as a retaining wall, since the front garden is at a lower level.

Interior features include a rounded head to a chamfered wooden doorframe from the former passage to the hall. The hall has a large axial stack at its lower end with a corbelled dressed slate joint supporting a large chamfered wooden lintel with indeterminate stops. Chamfered cross-beams in the hall have straight cut stops; some of the joists are also chamfered with straight cut lintel with step stops, a clay oven, and later ceiling joists. Roughly hewn joists remain in the former passage (room between lower room and hall). The chamber over the hall has a small late 19th century cast iron range. The fireplace lintel is exposed in the chamber over the lower end. The roof has later soft-wood trusses with collars lapped and pegged to the faces of the principals. The foot of one earlier truss remains over the lower end at the front; it is straight.