Yeas Cottage

Yeas Cottage is a cottage that dates back to the 16th century and was enlarged and embellished around 1675. It has been modernized in the 20th century. The exterior is rendered over random rubble with a thatched roof, featuring stacks at the west and south gable ends, as well as one to the east of the cross passage. There is a large stepped external stack on the east front. The cottage has an L-shaped plan with three cells and a cross passage running east-west, along with an addition to the southeast.

The east elevation is two storeys high, with a gable end that has a single bay wing to the south, which is one and a half storeys. It features a 20th-century two-light casement window with glazing bars and an imported 19th-century two-panel studded door in the gable end. Inside, there is a reused moulded ceiling beam and a fragment of a plaster frieze in the south wing. The inner hall has a four-panelled, plain chamfered framed ceiling, which has been cut in the south corner where the staircase bay originally flanked the entrance to the cross passage, now blocked. There is an incomplete plaster frieze that may depict mermen and pomegranates, along with a spice cupboard to the north of the open hearth, inscribed with "RYI 1673."

Upstairs, the main bedroom, now divided, contains a large plaster overmantel featuring the arms of the Butchers Guild, flanked by surpointers, and inscribed on the lower edge with "RY 1674 IY." The west end of the cottage is said to have a shallow peak-headed wooden door frame, which serves as the entrance to the cross passage, inscribed with "RIY 1672," and a similar inscription inside reading "RY 1673." There is also a gabled fireplace with a bacon curing chamber beside it, which is now blocked. The initials "RY" refer to Robert Yen, a retired butcher from Exeter, and "I" stands for Isabelle, his wife.