Bede Or Watch House And House Attached To South

The Bede or Watch House and the attached house to the south are located on Main Street in Pilton. This building, likely dating from the 16th and 19th centuries, is constructed of regularly coursed limestone with roofs made of Collyweston slate and concrete tiles. It has a two-unit plan and stands three storeys high with a two-window range.

The central entrance features a 19th-century plank door beneath a wooden lintel, with two small 19th-century casement windows above it, set under stone lintels that once served as door openings for the first floor. To the right of the door, there is a 19th-century casement window under a continuous lintel, while a small single-light window to the left is also under stone lintels. The second floor retains the remains of two casement windows with ashlar dressings and continuous labels, which have carved head stops. Above these, there is a ball-flower corbel table with a central plaque displaying carved heads above and below. The gable parapets are made of ashlar and feature carved kneelers.

The building has old brick end stacks, with the left stack having an ashlar base and cornice decorated with nail-head motifs. Attached to the right is a one-unit cottage with a concrete tile roof and a single 19th-century casement window under a wooden lintel, along with a 19th-century plank door in the right gable. The rear elevation includes two leaded casements under wooden lintels. An external stone staircase rises to the left and leads to an open passage at the first floor between the two buildings. There is also a 19th-century casement window on the first floor of the houses and a single-storey extension to the right.

Inside the Bede House, there is an open fireplace with a bressumer and ceiling beams with joists laid horizontally. The second floor, accessible via the external staircase, features a triangular-headed wall niche, and a brick stack has an access point believed to be a lookout. The attached house shows remains of an open fireplace. The external carved masonry is likely reset and the building is said to have connections with the Tresham family, who lived at the nearby Manor House.