Keepers Cottage

ST 63 SW WEST BRADLEY ALFORD

572/11/10004 Keeper's Cottage

II

House. Circa late C15/early C16, remodelled and extended circa late C16/early C17; extended circa early C19. Coursed blue lias rubble. Double Roman clay tile roof with stone-coped gable ends. Stone rubble axial and gable-end stacks. PLAN: Probably originally a 3-room and through-passage plan house, the low end to the left [W] heated from a large gable-end fireplace, and the hall open to the roof. Remodelled circa late C16/early C17, floor inserted into hall, inner room partition probably removed, and a wing built at the rear of the high end incorporating a winder staircase rising from the parlour. In about the early C19 the main range was extended at the low [W] end. creating a very long range overall. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 5-window range. C20 3-light casements. first floor left windows break the eaves; through-passage doorway to right of centre with plank door; another plank door to left. Large C20 windows in west gable end. At rear [N]. various small casements. through-passage doorway to left of centre and gable-ended wing on left with C17 wooden 2-light ovolo-moulded window on east side. INTERIOR: Through-passage has plank-and-muntin screen on high side with scratch-mouldings and 2-panel moulded door; plastered stud wall on low side. Kitchen at west end has deeply chamfered cross-beam with bar stops. unchamfered joists and large stone fireplace with slightly cambered chamfered timber bressumer with notched apex; oven and small cupboard to side with scratch-moulded plank door. Parlour at west end with large stone fireplace with moulded stone jambs and later arch. and deeply chamfered cross-beams. one stopped with cyma stop at partition to staircase. Wide newel stairs with chamfered doorframe with cranked head and wooden treads at top. Doorway to higher end chamber with ovolo-moulded frame. Chamber over parlour has deeply chamfered axial beams and stone tablet in chimney-breast carved: AD 1583 SW. and with double-headed eagle carved on it. Roof structure reconstructed. but one Medieval smoke-blackened truss remains. with large diagonally-set ridgepiece and some smoke-blackened common-rafters. Rear wing has circa late C16 or early C17 roof trusses with diagonally-set ridgepiece and tenoned purlins, one re-used from Medieval roof; closed truss with wattle-and-daub infilling at junction with main range.

Listing NGR: ST6003032590