Waterwell Waterwell Cottage

Waterwell and Waterwell Cottage

A house and adjoining cottage, originating in the early 16th century and remodelled in the early 17th century, with extensive late 20th-century renovations and alterations. The buildings are constructed from whitewashed rendered cob and stone rubble with a thatched roof, gabled at both ends.

The main block, Waterwell, is positioned to the left (south-east) and follows a 3-room plan with a through passage arrangement, though evidence suggests the plan has been altered over time. The lower end occupies the right side, with a hall stack backing onto the passage. A later rear outshut has been extended as a small 2-storey wing at right angles to the inner room, added in the late 20th century. The inner room is larger than the hall. Heating is provided to the lower end, though the rear lateral stack has either been rebuilt or is a 20th-century addition. The house originated as a later medieval open hall structure, apparently open from end to end throughout Waterwell's length, as evidenced by sooted trusses spanning the full roof length. This open hall was likely floored over around the early 17th century.

Waterwell Cottage adjoins on the right and also displays a sooted roof and sooted hip cruck, having been separated from the main block by a thick crosswall. The rafters show some evidence of charring, and the sooting may result from an accidental fire. The right end of Waterwell Cottage comprises a converted 2-storey outbuilding.

The exterior presents 2 storeys with a long asymmetrical front of 4 windows to Waterwell and 1 to the cottage. Five first-floor windows are fitted with gabled dormers. Both house and cottage have 20th-century glazed front doors. The door to Waterwell is positioned right of centre, leading into the through passage. The cottage door is topped with a 20th-century thatched gabled porch canopy. Five first-floor windows are small-pane 3-light timber casements; 3 similar ground-floor windows serve Waterwell. Two-light timber casements with glazing bars flank the cottage door. The right return of the cottage features external stone steps rising to a first-floor 20th-century glazed door. A fire insurance sign is marked on the right gable end.

The interior has been largely modernized but retains significant features. Waterwell has exposed joists to the passage and a plank and muntin screen with chamfered stopped joists on the passage side of the passage/lower-end partition. The hall and inner room are divided by the remains of a plank and muntin screen with a doorway featuring a shouldered lintel, and both rooms have chamfered stopped crossbeams. The inner room fireplace has a timber lintel with granite jambs; the hall fireplace has a timber lintel. The lower-end fireplace has been rebuilt. The interior of Waterwell Cottage is modernized.

The roof survives in sections of considerable interest. At the time of survey in 1987, a section of medieval roof structure—complete with thatch, battens and rafters—remained above approximately half the inner room of Waterwell, with an infilled side-pegged jointed cruck truss positioned over the hall (apex not inspected). Two further sooted trusses with rafters survive above the passage and lower end. A thick cob crosswall divides Waterwell from Waterwell Cottage but does not rise to the apex. Sooted rafters, battens and a hip cruck—with evidence of charred battens—survive above the left end of Waterwell Cottage. The roof over the former barn is probably 19th century.