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Summary

Formerly known as Woodlands and Stoke Cottage, Howls Moving Castle, appears to have origins as a 17th century house. It was divided into two cottages in the very late 19th to mid 20th century before reverted to a single dwelling in the late 20th century. It was badly damaged by fire in 2021.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS40SE/18
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Department of Environment, 1988, Highampton (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV338722.

Woodlands and Stoke cottage. Pair of cottages. Probably 17th century but subsequently altered, extended and subdivided. Plastered cob walls. Thatch roof gabled to left end and hipped to the right. Brick stack. Original plan not entirely clear but it is possible that the building originated as one three room and through passage plan house, the lower end to the right now Stoke cottage and Woodlands occupying the hall, with stack backing onto the passage, and inner room, probably extended.
Two storeys. Asymmetrical four window front, one window to stoke cottage, which has early 20th century two light casements on each floor to left of stack. Woodlands has two 19th century small-paned two light casements on first floor either side of late 19th century four pane sash. Early 20th century casement to left and right on ground floor with long 20th century glazed porch at centre. Interior was inaccessible at time of survey.
Date first listed: 29th February 1988

Historic England, 2023, Howls Moving Castle (Woodlands and Stoke Cottage), Highampton, West Devon. (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV365514.

Notification that Historic England have received an application to remove Woodlands and Stoke Cottage from the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest and are now beginning their assessment of the building.

Historic England, 2023, Howl's Moving Castle, Formerly Known As Woodlands and Stoke Cottage
Highampton, Devon (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV365579.

Notification that, having taken into account all the representations made, and completed their assessment of the building, it has been decided to remove Woodlands and Stoke Cottage (now known as Howl's Moving Castle) from the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
Howl's Moving Castle, a probable house dating to the 17th century was seriously damaged by fire in 2021. It was recommended for de-listing for the following principal reasons:
Degree of Architectural and Historic interest:
* the fire has resulted in significant loss of historic fabric, included all of the roof structure and its thatch covering, most of the first floor, and a substantial proportion of its cob walls;
* the surviving historic fabric is fragmentary and is not of such significance as to justify the building’s
retention on the list.

Highampton is recorded in the Domesday Book and lies within the Manor of Burdon. Woodlands and Stoke Cottage, now known as Howl’s Moving Castle, lies to the north of the village on the main approach road to Highampton, and appears to have origins as a C17 house, as described in the List entry. It is shown on the tithe map for Highampton (1842) where it is described as a house and garden in the ownership of a Richard Blatchford. In the late C19 it was known as Stoke Villa. By the mid-C20 the house had been subdivided into two cottages, Woodlands and Stoke Cottage, before reverting to a single dwelling known as Ladycot in the late C20. It was subsequently renamed in the early C21 as Howl’s Moving Castle.
The building was added to the List at Grade II in 1988. The List entry suggests that the house originally had a through passage plan, with the hall and parlour to the east end and the through passage and service end to the west. No internal inspection was carried out at the time of listing to confirm this arrangement, but the surviving form of the building suggests that this was a plausible interpretation of the original planform.
A fire in September 2021, and subsequent works to make the building safe, resulted in the loss of the entire roof structure and its thatch roof covering, the collapse of the west end wall, the reduction in height of both the cob walls and the axial chimney stack, and the removal of almost all of the first-floor level.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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