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Summary

Cottage of late 16th, early 17th century date. Originally a 3 room and through passage plan, part of the cottage was demolished in the 19th century when the farmhouse was built and all that remains is the hall, forming a single room plan, 2 storey cottage.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1306566: COTTAGE APPROXIMATELY 2 METRES NORTH-WEST OF HIGHER LEA FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST20NW/51
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 86718

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COTTAGE NON SPECIFIC (XVI to XVII - 1501 AD to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

Clements, H. A., Report on Buildings at Risk in the Devon Part of the Blackdown Hills, 18, 44 (Report - non-specific). SDV344049.

Cottage north-west of Higher Lea Farm. Risk level 2, partly occupied, very bad condition (1.2.2). Other details: Photo.

Department of Environment, 1988, Yarcombe, 128 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV344317.

Honeysett, B., 1997, Higher Ley Cottage, Yarcombe (Report - Survey). SDV355056.

Recommendations for repair include first and foremost the stabilisation of the east wall of the cottage. This is considered to be of most immediate concern as any failure of this part of the building could affect the adjoining farmhouse and in particular, the single storey link built against the south-east corner. Other remedial works include the reconstruction of the collapsed sections of the western and northern walls, the reconstruction or extensive repair of the western outshot and repairs to the floor joists, stairs and southern cruck.

Mason, N., 1997 - 2000, Higher Ley Cottage, Yarcombe (Un-published). SDV346736.

First stage of remedial works carried out to cruck and leaning wall. Leaf and rose frieze observed on interior of rear wall. Other details: Photos, plans.

Devon County Council, 1997-2002, Buildings at Risk Survey in the Devon Part of the Blackdown Hills AONB (Un-published). SDV344048.

Late 16th, early 17th century disused cottage. The cottage has been empty for sometime and is in a near derelict state. The gable end wall is at great risk of collapse, part of the roof structure and a cob partition wall have collapsed. Grant offered to new owners towards consolidation works which were underway in 2000.

R. M. Challice and Son, 1998, Proposed Works at Higher Ley Cottage, Higher Ley Farm, Yarcombe, Devon (Plan - measured). SDV358851.

English Heritage, 2010, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV154869.

Cottage approximately 2 metres north-west of Higher Lea Farmhouse. Disused cottage. Late 16th- early 17th century, some mid 19th century alterations. Cob on stone rubble footings; the front wall has been rebuilt as local stone and flint rubble with brick dressings; disused stone rubble stack; corrugated iron roof and some of the original thatch remains below.
Plan and development: 1-room plan cottage facing south. It has an axial stack in the right (east) end with a doorway behind it and a wider stair behind that. In fact this is the hall; all that remains of a late 16th - early 17th century 3-room-and- through-passage plan house. The doorway is in the end wall from the site of the former passage. The rest of the house was demolished in the mid 19th century when the present Higher Lea Farmhouse was built nearby on a clear site. The cottage has always been 2 storeys and there are secondary lean-to outshots on the left end and across the rear.
Exterior: the front wall was rebuilt in the mid 19th century. It has 1 ground floor window and 2 first floor windows; all 19th century casements which formerly contained rectangular panes of leaded glass but most of the glass has fallen out. The roof is half-hipped to left and gable-end to right. The doorway in the right (east) end wall has an original oak Tudor arch doorframe with chamfered surround. Also there is an original stair window on the rear wall; a small oak 2-light window with a chamfered mullion.
Interior: the features are all original. The winder stair is built of oak and both the ground floor and first floor doorframes are Tudor arches with chamfered surrounds and step stopes. The plank doors they contain are very old if they are not original. The large fireplace has limestone jambs and a chamfered oak lintel. The first floor fireplace is all limestone ashlar and has a low Tudor-arch head in the lintel. The first floor crossbeam has deep chamfers with step stops. The 2-bay roof is carried on a clean side-pegged jointed cruck truss.
This small cottage contains a good group of late 16th - early 17th century features. However it is somewhat dilapidated and there is evidence that the chimneystack is moving. Date listed: 16th March 1988.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Child, P., 28/03/2000, Higher Ley cottage, Yarcombe (Un-published). SDV351193.

The renovation works have been done to a very high standard.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4580 - Buildings at Risk Survey
• EDV4654 - Buildings at Risk Re-Survey

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