2 Cottages Adjoining To Rear (South-West) Of No 1 Mill House

This listing describes a pair of cottages located to the rear (south-west) of No. 1 Mill House in South Zeal, South Tawton. They date from the late 17th century to early 18th century, with possible origins in the 16th century. The cottages feature partly plastered walls, primarily made of granite stone rubble, with some sections of cob and disused cob stacks. The roof is made of corrugated iron, which replaced the original thatch.

The cottages have a one-room plan and are positioned at right angles to the rear of No. 1 Mill House, facing south-east. Both cottages are two storeys high and have stacks on their left ends, with the stack of the right cottage backing onto the left cottage. The exterior has an overall four-window front, with each cottage having a two-window front and a front doorway on the right side. Part of the ground floor of the right cottage is obscured by a 20th-century garage.

The windows date from the 19th century, with some being casements that have glazing bars, while one first-floor window contains tiny rectangular panes of leaded glass. The left end's ground floor window may be from the 18th century; it is a two-light flat-faced mullion window with a glazing rebate but is currently shuttered. The left cottage's doorway features an old, possibly original, plank door with cover strips, while the right cottage has a 19th-century plank door. The roof is gable-ended on the left and hipped on the right.

Inside, the cottages have plain carpentry details, including roughly-finished crossbeams and plain oak lintels over the granite fireplaces. The roof structure consists of A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars. Notably, at the right end, where the right cottage meets No. 1 Mill House, there is a small blocked first-floor doorway with a round-headed arch that likely dates to the 16th century. South Zeal is significant as one of the few medieval boroughs in Devon, where a considerable number of 16th and 17th-century houses remain.