Church House Cottages

Church House Cottages, Walkhampton

Two cottages, originally a single church house. Dating from the early 16th century, the building was modified in 1698, altered in the late 19th century, and restored in the later 20th century. The walls are constructed of stone rubble, partly rendered and colour-washed, with a gable-ended asbestos slate roof and three rendered stacks (one at each gable end and one lateral).

The original plan is an interesting variation on the church house type and can be reconstructed despite conversion into two cottages. On the ground floor, it originally comprised a large room at either end with a small room in between. In front of the small central room was an entrance lobby from which each room could be reached, and from which a straight flight of stairs in a projection at the front of the building was also approached. The left-hand room, judging from its very large gable-end fireplace with ovens, was where baking took place. The small central room, with only one small window and what appears to have been a serving hatch into the right-hand room, likely stored ales which were then served in the right-hand room where customers presumably congregated and could leave by a back door. This room had a fireplace in its gable-end wall and a small fireplace on its front wall, possibly of later date. The first floor consisted of one large room used for meetings and probably celebrations. External stairs to its doorway in the right-hand gable end have been removed. The relationship of this arrangement to the 1698 date plaque can only be conjectured, though the large hearth may have been added to the kitchen at this stage. Subsequently the building became an inn, ceasing to serve this purpose in 1895, after which it was soon divided into two cottages.

The exterior is two storeys. The original entrance front faces the churchyard and is asymmetrical, with four windows and a shallow rectangular stair projection to the left of centre. Modern 1 and 2-light casements have replaced original windows. The stair projection has a chamfered granite-framed light. To the right of the projection is the original granite 4-centred arched doorway with roll moulding and recessed spandrels. Above is a date-stone of 1698 bearing the initials R.S.J.W. Beneath the eaves, a chamfered stone cornice extends along the house. At the right gable end are four 2-light granite mullion windows, hollow-chamfered with segmental heads in rebate frame. At the centre is a granite 4-centred arched doorway, evidently giving access to the principal first-floor room. This arrangement is explained in a print of the Church House dated 1805 by Samuel Prout, which depicts this gable end with a lean-to roof set against it, supported on an octagonal pillar, below which were steps leading to the first-floor doorway. The print also shows a stone arched doorway leading into the churchyard and mounting steps on the front wall, which still survive. This set-up still existed in 1867, although the window openings were blocked in 1842. They and the doorway were uncovered in the early 1980s. The present entrance front has 20th-century stone porches to the left and right of centre, with irregularly placed 20th-century casements. Between the porches is a single granite-framed light to the central room. The stone cornice extends around this side. At the right end is a lower outbuilding, reputedly a stable.

The interior preserves many early features in good condition. Original window openings are marked internally by stone arches above. On the ground floor are heavy cross-beams, chamfered and resting on curved stone corbels. The kitchen has a very large fireplace with chamfered wooden lintel and dressed granite jambs, with two stone ovens. To the right of the fireplace in the end wall is a wide blocked doorway with granite arch above. The entrance lobby at the centre has three granite doorways opening off it: one with a pointed arch to the kitchen and two with segmental heads to the stairs and the small store room. The stairs are a straight flight of granite, with a corbelled and stepped stone at the top and a similar doorway. In the store room, a small blocked granite-framed opening is visible in the right-hand wall, which can also be seen from the other side and was probably a serving hatch. The right-hand room has a fireplace with chamfered granite jambs and a replaced lintel, and a much smaller reconstructed fireplace on its long wall. Built into the partition wall of this room is a large carved stone face, probably a gargoyle from the church. The original stone arched head to the rear doorway of this room survives. The original roof remains in situ and complete, consisting of principals with curved feet, threaded purlins cut out to become trenched and cranked collars, notched and set into the trusses. This building is one of the most complete church houses in Devon, retaining not only numerous early features but also its original plan-form preserved, and forming a good group with the adjacent church.