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Summary

West Park Cottage at Swannaford in Bridford is a small cob-built 17th century thatched cottage near Swannaton House. Refurbishment in 2016 revealed studded partition, 17th century two-light window and fireplace with later bread-oven.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1097832: WEST PARK COTTAGE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX88NW/138
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85581

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COTTAGE NON SPECIFIC (XVI to XVII - 1600 AD to 1699 AD (Between))

Full description

Thorp, J. R. L., 2006, West Park Cottage, Bridford, 1-10 (Report - Assessment). SDV347231.

Small cottage built from cob, plastered inside and out, with a thatched roof and outshut to the rear which is slated. The building has a two-room plan and is terraced into the hillslope. Stylistically, this building can be dated to the mid-late 17th century and is significant in that well-preserved 17th century cottages such as these are rare. This cottage appears to have been associated with Swannaton House and the inhabitants appear not to have been farmers, not requiring lands to work themselves but may have been artisans, superior farmhands or perhaps miners.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

Cottage probably mid 17th century in date with whitewashed plastered cob and stone rubble; thatched roof, gabled at ends; left end stack with granite shaft, 20th century right end stack with brick shaft. Plan: Single depth, two rooms wide with a later rear outshut; principal heated room to the left; central entrance probably into passage or stair hall. The ground is at a lower level to the right. Exterior: two storeys. Asymmetrical two window front with two gabled dormers to the front; 20th century front door with flat porch canopy. 2- and 3-light 19th or 20th century timber casements with glazing bars. The right return has a 17th century 2-light timber mullioned window to the first floor with chamfered mullions and a chamfered frame. Interior: Not inspected at time of survey (1986) but said to have an exposed crossbeam in the principal room, a first floor framed partition and roof timbers with curved feet. Forms a group with Rose Cottage which is approximately parallel to it at the front. The two houses are extremely close together. Other details: Listed Building number: 85581.

Steinmetzer, M., 2016, Archaeological monitoring and recording at West Park, Bridford, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV359914.

The works at West Park Cottage initially included the replacement of the existing concrete kitchen floor. However, by the time of the site visit it had been decided to retain the current floor. Nonetheless, the stripping out during the refurbishment of the property permitted closer inspection of areas of the historic building fabric not previously seen by Keystone in 2006.
The partial removal of plasterboard from the partition between the two ground floor rooms allowed the identification of the original close-studded oak frame. The framing is identical to the one exposed directly above on the first floor, although the original lath and wattle-and-daub has been previously removed.
The removal of the late 19th-century brickwork narrowing exposed the earlier fireplace in the west wall. Built of granite jambs and a large chamfered oak lintel it contained a bread-oven in the north face. This was built of late 18th or early 19th century brick and presumably inserted into an earlier opening.
The east end of the building contained an original window on the first floor. It is a small two-light window built of oak with pegged mortise-and-tenon joints. On the outside the chamfered head projects forward over the jambs and mullion. These were also chamfered and simply engage the soffit of the head. On the inside the frame was flat-faced. The removal of the plasterboard blocking in the small splayed alcove at the top of the newel stair revealed an identical window in the west elevation.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5050 - Assessment of West Park Cottage, Bridford
• EDV7140 - Monitoring and recording at West Park Cottage, Bridford (Ref: 0169/16)

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