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Summary

Westacombe Cottage was built as a three room, through passage house in the 17th century. A single storey rear wing was added in the later 19th century to which a second floor was added in the mid 20th century. A further extension was added in the late 20th century. Some 17th century internal feature survive.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1107739: WESTACOMBE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS53NW/49
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 98429

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Built, XVII - 1601 AD to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, 1985, Heanton Punchardon, 91 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV86763.

House, probably 17th century but earlier features may well be concealed, with 20th century additions to rear. Whitewashed rendered rubble and cob thatch roof with gable end stacks, and tall brick lateral hall stack to rear. Originally 3-room and through passage plan, with kitchen wing added probably in 19th century at rear left end, forming L-shape plan with slated lean-to in the angle encased in 20th century flat-roofed extension. Two storeys. Four window range of three 2-light and single-light window at upper end, over 3 similar casements all 3-paned each light, and off centre plank door with canopy supported on slender chamfered posts. Pointed Gothick windows at right gable end. Three heavy roof trusses of straight principals, but no access to roof-space. Plaster cornice on 3 sides of chamber at upper end, with double band of intertwined foliated design. Much of 17th century joinery survives, including winder staircase with stick balusters to lower flight and moulded outer handrail and square newel posts. Low stone hall fireplace with 4-centred arch and chamfered jambs, and panelling on all 4 walls said to come from house in Bideford. . All the panelling, some with linenfold, some with acanthus carved decoration, appears to be 19th century or early 20th century copy, except for the top figure in the left hand pair of Atlantes which flank the chimneypiece and which seems to be early 17th century. Other details: LBS 98429.

Wessex Archaeology, 2007, RMB Chivenor Flood Defence Scheme Barnstaple, Devon: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment, 10 (Report - Assessment). SDV342125.

Other details: WA 32.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

Westacombe Cottage. Date first listed 14/11/1985. Date of most recent amendment 11/10/2016.
Summary of Building
A C17 house with C19 and C20 additions to the rear.
Reasons for Designation
Westacombe Cottage, Heaton Punchardon is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: *Architectural interest: it demonstrates well the use of local materials and building tradition, with added interesting architectural embellishments; *Historic interest: the C17 house retains a significant proportion of original building fabric; * Legibility: the original form of the main range and the later phases are clearly legible; *Group value: with a number of nearby listed buildings including the C16 Eastacombe Farmhouse (Grade II).
History
Westacombe Cottage was built in the C17 as a three-room, through-passage house. It appears on the Heanton Punchardon Tithe Map (circa 1840) as a long range running parallel to the road. In the later half of the C19 a single-storey rear wing was added. A second storey was added to part of this rear wing in the mid-C20. A further extension was added to the main rear elevation in the late C20. A number of the internal features, recorded as surviving in the late C20, have since been removed including the C17 carved acanthus-decorated panels flanking one of the fireplaces, a low stone hall fireplace with four-centred arch, and panelling on the walls of one of the ground-floor rooms (the panelling was said to come from a house in Bideford). The front elevation windows were replaced with early C21 replica frames.
Details
A C17 house with C19 and C20 additions to the rear.
MATERIALS: whitewashed and rendered rubble-stone and cob walls, thatch roof, and brick gable-end and lateral off-centre stacks.
PLAN: the original three-room building runs east-to-west, with a later rear wing at a right angle to the north.
EXTERIOR: the gable-ended cottage is two storeys with a pitched thatch roof. The front elevation is flanked by tile-topped buttress walls and has four bays with ground and first floor two-light, three-paned windows, with the exception of a single-light first-floor window at the west end. The off-centre plank door is covered by a thatch canopy supported by slender chamfered posts. The west elevation has a pair of timber French windows. The east elevation has a first-floor Gothic-style, pointed-arched window and a large projecting chimney. To the rear is the two-storey, pitched roof cross wing with a cat-slide single-storey addition. A later single-storey lean to has been added to the centre of the rear range and includes a set of French windows. At the west end of the elevation, the original rear wall is visible and has a two-light, three-paned window.
INTERIOR: the ground floor has been subject to refurbishment in the late C20/ early C21. The fire surrounds in the main range are modern replacements. The fragment of timber panelling with linenfold detailing beneath the window in the central room appears to be a C19 /early C20 copy. On the ground floor of the rear wing is a fireplace with a bread oven and a timber bressemer. Some of the C17 joinery survives including the winder-stair treads and square newel post (the panelling is a modern addition that replaces an earlier banister), some of the door frames and chamfered ceiling beams. The west end, first-floor bedroom has a plaster cornice with a double band of intertwined foliated design on three sides. The collar-beam roof survives well, including the timber-pegged principal trusses which have undergone some re-engineering, particularly at the bases. .

Historic England, 2016, Westacombe Cottage, Heanton Punchardon, Barnstaple (Correspondence). SDV359837.

Westacombe Cottage was first listed in 1985. At the time a number of early features were recorded as surviving on the ground floor. Many of these features have now been removed. It is therefore recommended that the List entry be amended for the following principal reasons.
Intactness: despite the loss of some internal fabric on the ground floor, overall it remains a character
dwelling in the local Devon vernacular tradition which contains a number of early internal features and a legible plan;
Update the list: the opportunity should be taken to amend the List entry to bring it in line with current
practices.

Historic England, 2016, Westacombe Cottage, Westacombe Cottage, Heanton Punchardon, Barnstaple (Correspondence). SDV359660.

Notification of completion of initial assessment regarding amending the list entry due to changes to the interior of the building. Westacombe Cottage was built in the C17 as a three-room, through-passage house. It appears on Heanton Punchardon Tithe Map (circa 1840) as a long range running parallel to the road. In the latter half of the C19 a single-storey rear wing was added. A second storey was added to part of this rear wing in the mid-C20. A further extension was added to the main rear elevation in the late C20. A number of the internal features, recorded as surviving in the late C20, have since been removed including the C17 carved acanthus-decorated panels flanking one of the fireplaces, a low stone hall fireplace with four-centred arch, and panelling on the walls of one of the ground-floor rooms (the panelling was said to come from house in Bideford). The front elevation windows were replaced with early-C21 replica frames. See report for further details.

Historic England, 25/02/2016, Westacombe Cottage, Heanton Punchardon, Barnstaple, Devon (Correspondence). SDV359450.

Application received to amend entry to Westacombe Cottage.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4490 - RMB Chivenor Flood Defence Scheme Barnstaple, Devon: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment

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