St Leonards Cottage (South)

HARTLAND SS 22 SW

3/150 St Leonards Cottage (south)

GV II*

Small house. Circa 1500, altered in C20. Walls of very small stone rubble. Gable- ende thatch roof. Brick stack at either end. Plan: 2-room plan with smaller room to the right and entrance lobby between the two. No early chimney survives - the right-hand fireplace is an insertion of the C19 and the left-hand end wall has been rebuilt but may have previously contained an early stack. Despite its early date the building appears to have been 2 storeys from the outset although the proportions of the rooms may have bee altered and some rebuilding of the front may have occured. Exterior: 2 storeys. Regular 3-window front of C20 2-light casements, some with small panes. Cl9 plank door to right of centre under contemporary slate hood. The right-hand side of the front is recessed slightly suggesting some rebuilding. Lean- to thatched roof C18 or C19 outbuilding against the right-hand end with door at the front. Rear elevation is notable only for a rare original 2-light timber mullion- window to right with round-headed lights, now blocked. Interior: throughout the ground floor are very heavy chamfererd cross beams with convex diagonal stops. The original roof structure is of considerable interest consisting of 2 pairs of raised crucks which are not smoke-blackened. The left-hand truss has a morticed apex with triangular strengthening block below. The right-hand truss has an unusual apex arrangement with a huge saddle into which the tops of the principals are morticed with another smaller saddle above it into which the diagonal ridge is notched. Very close to the saddle is a light morticed collar. The trusses are of very heavy scantling the front rafter of the right-hand truss has dropped considerably. This enigmatic building poses many problems of interpretation deriving mainly from the high quality of carpentry relative to such a small structure. Its original function is unclear but its close proximity to a chapel (q.v) of a very similar date suggests a connection between the two and it may have housed a priest. Alternatively both buildings may be survivals of a much larger complex.

Listing NGR: SS2489823869