49-53 Newtown

A block of four cottages, originally five, was built around 1818 in Milborne Port. The cottages are primarily constructed from local stone rubble, with numbers 49 and 50 having rendered exteriors. They have thatched roofs with hipped and half-hipped ends, and brick chimney stacks, with the end group set diagonally. Each house is two storeys high and has one bay, with the exception of number 50 which has two bays, the second of which projects. Number 49 features a projection on its west gable and a lean-to porch in the southwest corner, featuring earlier 20th-century casement windows. Number 50 has a lean-to, glazed and tiled porch in its corner and retains a Britannia fire insurance plaque on its gable. Number 51 incorporates number 52 and has casement windows, along with garage doors combined with an entrance door beneath a concrete lintel. Number 53 has an unusual semi-octagonal projection with a conical roof, a single-storey extension on the east gable, mid-20th century leaded casement windows, and a late-20th century panelled door recessed to the side. The interiors have not been inspected. Newtown itself is a planned layout dating from around 1818, originally comprising approximately 80 thatched cottages, reputedly conceived as a vote-winning initiative. While altered, this block retains original features not commonly found elsewhere and contributes to understanding the development of Newtown. The cottages are primarily listed for their group value.