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Summary

The two ranges of cottages at Southern Lake originated as a farmhouse and associated farm buildings in the 16th or 17th century. The buildings appear to have been converted to cottages in the second half of the 19th century. Two ranges with a joining cross wing are shown on the 1880s-1890s Ordnance Survey Map. The north range was described as ruinous in the listing description of 1976 and has now largely gone. The south range has been partially rebuilt and restored.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX99NE/5

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (Built, XVI to XVII - 1501 AD to 1700 AD (Between))
• COTTAGE NON SPECIFIC (Built, XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV129254.

Southernlake. Seven derelict cottages used only by cattle. They are of some architectural and historical interest, but not enough to merit complete renovation: this was the decision of the inspector at a local planning inquiry in 1976.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV129258.

Des=express and echo/(1/2/1977).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV129259.

Des=express and echo/(14/9/1975).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV129260.

Scrapbook vol.5 p.46.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV129261.

Des=the national trust/killerton estate archaeological survey: part 4: the farms: ashclyst - elbury/(2000)409/2/copy in smr.

Express & Echo, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV23569.

Vis=1/2/1977(express and echo) the environment secretary dismissed an appeal against the refusal to allow rehabilitation.

National Trust, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV52.

Grassy platform 20m x 15m on se side of hedgebank. A hollow way passes along the sw side of the platform. Ngr is given as sx99439665 (nt).

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1098353 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Southernlake Cottages (South Range). Formerly 3 cottages. C16 with later alterations. Cob, and coursed sandstone rubble. 2 storeys and 2 axial brick stacks. The western cottages with hipped thatched (water reed) roof, the remainder under slate. 3-window range to 2 western cottages, upper windows under eyebrow eaves; 2 doors and two 2-light casement windows below (all casements about to be replaced at time of survey 1984). East end of range with one window to each storey and a single doorway. Rear (ie. facing north range q.v) with 2 windows only to slated unit, but windows to be inserted in west pair. Timber casements, where they survive, of late C18 or early C19. Interior: west cottages (now one dwelling) with jointed cruck (south blade considerably renewed) and ridge piece. One chamfered beam, stopped. The 6 cottages at Southernlake form a group consisting of 2 ranges which face each other across a central space.
Date first listed: 20th May 1976

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1170279 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Southernlake Cottages (North Range). Formerly 3 cottages, now ruinous. Late C17 with later alterations. Cob and red sandstone, remains of render; where the roof survives, it is thatched. L-shaped building, the western crossing with gabled-end roof and internal end stack with brick shaft. 2 storeys. Window openings face south but only 2 timber casement frames extant. A C17 chamfered and stopped beam noted at time of 1976 listing has since collapsed. Roof to crosswing has collars and looks C18.
Date first listed: 20th May 1976.

Historic England, 2017, Southernlake Cottages (South Range), Southernlake House, Broadclyst, Exeter (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV360410.

Notification that Historic England is currently considering the cottages for delisting. They have completed a consultation report which sets out the factual information of the site upon which they will base their decision.
History
The current buildings at Southernlake have their origins in the C16 or C17 as a farmhouse
and farmstead buildings, and the relocated cruck in the former south range appears to be of
this broad period. A pair of buildings is shown at this location on tithe map of 1838 and their
configuration as a collection of cottages is shown on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1889. They
formed a north and south range with a cross wing at the west end of the north range, which
terminated before the south range wall to leave a right of way through the former farmyard.
By the time of a building inspection in 1984 the north range was ruinous and the south range
was undergoing refurbishment. In the early C21 further structure was removed from the north
range to stabilise the structure and part of its former cross wing was rebuilt into a link structure
connecting with the south range. The south range was partly rebuilt and restored with new
floor and roof structures and some reconfiguration of its layout.
Details
A dwelling, formerly three cottages of C16/C17 origin, with C21 extensions.
MATERIALS: sandstone, possibly with some cob. Modern refurbishment has introduced brick,
concrete floors, granite cills and oak floor and roof structure with some reused historic
materials. The sandstone elevations are painted. The roofs are covered in thatch and slate.
PLAN: rectangular on plan, apparently of two principal historic phases. There is a modern
extension to the north west and a modern outshut against the east end wall.
EXTERIOR: the south front has four bays to the left under a thatched roof that is hipped at the
west end. To the right are two bays under a slightly taller, slate-covered pitched roof. The
fenestration is irregular and there are four doors to the ground floor and the first-floor openings
are set high in the eaves. The north-west extension (incorporating a former cross wing to an
earlier adjacent cottage) has a half-hipped thatched roof with a dormer facing west above a
glazed entrance. The north elevation has some reconfigured openings and disturbed sections
of stonework. The east end has a C21 outshut and an inserted opening to the left of the
chimneybreast at first-floor level. The windows are all modern double-glazed units and the
three chimneystacks were rebuilt in the C21.
INTERIOR: the interior was restored and reconfigured in 2003 with new floor structures, floor
coverings, stairs. Removal of some walls, insertion of new partition walls and reconfiguration
of openings has also taken place. The inglenook with bread oven at the west end of the
ground floor appears to be in situ. The fireplace lintel in the kitchen is a modern insertion. The
two cruck blades in the central bay of the building are reused and relocated (their carpenter
marks do not tally).
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: connected by a modern arched wall to the east is The Annexe, a
former farm building that was extensively rebuilt in the early C21. It is constructed of
sandstone with modern and reused timber floor and roof structure and has no fittings of
historic note.

Historic England, 2017, Southernlake House, Broadclyst, Exeter (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV360587.

The application was prompted by advice from a heritage consultant that the buildings no longer merit inclusion on the List. The buildings were separately listed at Grade II in 1976 and they were recorded as derelict during a planning inquiry of that year. The List entries were amended in the 1980s resurvey, at which time the North Range was ruinous. After further years of neglect the buildings on the site were altered, extended, restored and made safe in the early C21 by a previous owner, with Listed Building Consent and planning permission (04/P2344/LBC & 04/P2347/FUL & 05/2848/LBC). A number of features described in the List Entry are no longer extant. There is no planning enforcement action in hand.

After examining all the records and other relevant information and having carefully considered the architectural and historic interest of this case, the criteria for listing are not fulfilled. North Range and South Range at Southernlake Cottages are not of special architectural or historic interest and should be removed from the List.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
North Range and South Range at Southernlake Cottages, C17/C18 former dwellings, altered and remodelled
later, principally in the C21, are recommended for de-listing for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest: The architectural integrity of the buildings as historic dwellings has been considerably eroded in the
C20 and C21; Alterations to North Range have resulted in the building losing a very large proportion of its historic
fabric; Alterations to South Range have resulted in it having lost its historic plan form and legibility as an historic dwelling, as well as floor and roof structures; The inglenook fireplace with bread oven at the west end of the South Range appears to be the only historic feature in the interior of either building to survive in situ.

Historic interest: The buildings have no known specific claims to historic interest.
Group value: There are no other listed buildings or scheduled monuments nearby.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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