The Old Bothy

MATERIALS: stone with galleted joints, red brick dressings and slate roofs. Extensive use of glazed tiles as an internal wall covering.

PLAN: a central hall flanked by side ranges to west and east. Rear centre stairs to upper partial floor.

EXTERIOR: the entrance elevation faces south and is the most decorative with greater use of red brick detailing to the door and flanking windows which have segmental arched heads. The piers for the doorway rise above a decorated gable with oval window. Windows are timber-framed with leaded lights. It is stylistically reminiscent of an Edwardian village hall. The rear elevation is more modest. It has two gabled end bays with louvered oculi to the first floor, and three flat-roofed central bays divided by shallow brick piers. These have large round-arched overlights above off-centre pedestrian solid wooden doors. These have the appearance of being secondary, however.

INTERIOR: in plan it has a central hall which has a boarded roof with roof lights and exposed metal trusses flanked by smaller rooms. Stairs to the attic storey are in the centre rear (north) of the building. The interior retains many original features including quarry tile and parquet flooring. The internal walls are tile clad: white with olive green dressings to the hall and brown to the rear staircase hall. The hall and side ranges are separated by large round-headed arches dressed with olive green tiles; that to the east has a glazed timber screen. The upper floor, which is only present to the rear (north) of the building as the `hall to the south is double-height internally, was not inspected as the floor was deemed unsafe.

SOURCES: English Heritage, Register Entry for Cowdray House and Park, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest, (1982) Website of the Cowdray Heritage Trust including a Cowdray timeline at www.cowdray.org.uk [accessed 25 Oct 2010]