BLEDINGTON CHAPEL LANE SP 2422 (south side) 12/41 The Steward's House and Manor Cottage 25.8.60 (formerly listed as Manor Cottages II House at centre of row of 3 buildings. Formerly one house, divided into 3 cottages C19, now two. C17, with later single storey C19 and C20 extensions either side. Coursed squared and dressed limestone, stone slate roof, ashlar stack twined with brick stack, 2 artificial stone stacks on ashlar stumps. Rectangular main body with C19 former wash house extension rear left. Almost symmetrical facade with single storey C20 kitchen extension right and rear wall of single storey lean-to store left. Main body; 2 storeys and attic lit by 3 Cotswold dormers with 2-light stone-mullioned casements, 3 and 4-light double-chamfered stone-mullioned casements. Lower left-hand window C20 replacement with blocked doorway left. All windows with stopped hoods and horizontal glazing bars. Plank door off centre left. Flat coping to dormers and gable ends. Roll-cross saddles at right gable end and on Cotswold dormers. Twin left gable end stack, twin axial diagonally set stacks off centre right. Interior: formerly 3-room plan with linking doors against the rear wall. Former central room retains part of raised plasterwork frieze c2m long by cO.4m deep. The central part of the frieze is decorated with vine scroll decoration, the upper margin with bursting seed pods and griffins, the lower with foliate decoration, inglenook fireplace with moulded Tudor arched bressumer in same room. Spine beam with ogee stops. Fragment of plaster work of similar dimensions and with similar marginal decoration in left- hand room (Manor Cottage) over fireplace. Central band decorated with a repeated motif comprising a forward facing head flanked by foliate 'S' scrolls incorporating grotesque faces in profile. Stone 'Tudor'-arched fireplace below with carved spandrels, similar fireplace in bedroom above. Reputed to have been built as house for Winchcombe Abbey's manorial steward. {Source Work 11748.}