Doone Cottage

Doone Cottage is a house dated 1688 internally, and possibly built or enlarged for Gabrial Ball. It appears there was a possible 18th century addition, along with mid to late 20th century additions and alterations. The house is constructed primarily of painted coursed rubble stone with a slate roof.

The original plan combines 17th and 18th century 2- and 3-room-and-cross-passage arrangements, with the lower end of the house to the right. A central hall features a cross-passage to the right and a former external stack to the front. A small parlour lies to the right, with an integral stone end stack, and a kitchen to the left, which may be an 18th century addition or rebuilding, and has a probable 18th century integral end stack. A 20th century wing extends to the rear of the parlour. Additional 1-storey lean-to additions are present to the left-hand gable end and to the rear of the hall and kitchen.

The exterior is two storeys in height. A first-floor window has been raised in the 20th century to create a gabled semi-dormer with a drop-hung casement, and a further first-floor 2-light wooden casement is located to the left. There are three ground floor wooden casements, of 2 and 3 lights. A late 19th or 20th century half-glazed door is situated between the first and second windows from the right, with a 20th century rendered gabled porch. There’s evidence of a blocked window to the left of the right-hand ground floor window, and indications of a former external stack to the hall.

Inside, the hall has a 20th century ceiling and a small fireplace in the front room. The parlour to the right features heavy chamfered cross beams, a fireplace with a chamfered wooden lintel dated 16 G MB 88 (Gabrial and Mary Ball) and stone reveals, and rendered 17th century panelling on the left-hand wall. The roof space has not been inspected.

At the time of survey in July 1987, the house contained Gabrial Ball's will, dated 5 January 1720. An old photograph, a copy of which was also present at the time of survey, showed the house with a thatched roof.