Gibhouse Cottage

SX 78 NW DREWSTEIGNTON

7/44 Gibhouse Cottage

GV II

Cottage, former farmhouse. C17, parts may be C16, thoroughly renovated circa 1980. Plastered walls, either wholly granite stone rubble or cob on stone rubble footings; disused stone rubble stacks; thatch roof. Plan and development: small 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing west- south-west, say west, and built down the hillslope. Small inner room at the uphill (northern) end was formerly unheated but circa 1980 an end stack was built there. The hall has a disused axial stack backing onto the passage and a newel stair turret projecting forward. The passage front doorway is now blocked and its porch is converted to a closet. Small unheated service end room at the downhill right end. Since no internal inspection was available at the time of this survey it is impossible to outline the historic development of the house here. Nevertheless it seems likely that it was originally some kind of open hall house and, if it is C16, it may have been heated by an open hearth fire. It is now 2 storeys throughout. Exterior: irregular 2-window front of circa 1980 casements without glazing bars. Those on the first floor rise up into the thatch a short distance. The roof is half-hipped to right and gable-ended to left. The eaves are carried down over the newel stair turret and closet. Similar circa 1980 fenestration to rear and contemporary door to passage behind contemporary porch on circular granite posts. Interior: was not availabe for inspection at the time of this survey. However most of the joinery detail appears to be C20. Nevertheless the original layout appears to be preserved and therefore C17, maybe C16, features are suspected. For instance a granite fireplace with an oak lintel and a roughly-finished crossbeam were seen in the hall. The roof may even be late medieval.

Listing NGR: SX7204989713