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Summary

Berries Brook, formerly two cottages, mid 17th century.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS70SE/113
• Old Listed Building Ref (DL): 96575

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COTTAGE NON SPECIFIC (XVII to XVIII - 1640 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV333099.

Berries Brook. House, formerly 2 cottages. Mid 17th century. Plastered cob on rubble footings; stone rubble or cob stack with plastered brick top; thatch roof. Pair of contemporary cottages facing east away from road. They have mirror plans comprising inner rooms served by the back-to-back fireplaces in the central stack between the former cottages and small outer entrance lobbies.2 storeys. Symmetrical 4-window front of 20th century casements without glazing bars and doors at each end. Right door now behind a 20th century extension which is made up of reused materials including 19th century tile roof and cob walls of old agricultural store. Roof is hipped each end. Rear wall is blind except for a door to the inner right room. Another to inner left room is now blocked. Interior: is largely original. Each of the larger rooms has a soffit-chamfered and scroll stopped crossbeam and the rubble fireplaces have oak lintels with the same finish. The timbers in the left cottage are more worn than those in right cottage. Fireplaces have ovens on rear side but left cottage fireplace is now lined with slate. Roof is inaccessible but the feet of the truss principals are exposed suggest that the original roof structure survives intact. Well-preserved pair of mid 17th century cottages previously known as dicklegg cottages (doe).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV49969.

Doe/hhr:colebrooke/(20/11/1986)37.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV49970.

Des=exeter archaeology/archaeological assessment of swwl mid devon water rehabilitation schemes (overall route)/(may 2000)9/ea report 00.21.

English Heritage, 2011, Berries Brook, Coleford, Crediton (Correspondence). SDV347402.

Application to remove Berries Brook from List of Buildings of Special Archtectural or Historic Interest.

English Heritage, 2011, Colebrooke (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV348699.

Berries Brook, a thatched cob building thought to have 17th century origins, was largely destroyed by fire in April 2011. The owner would like to build a new house on the site, and we have been asked to consider de-listing the original building. The local authority, which supports the de-listing application, has confirmed that the presence of other listed buildings adjacent to the site would be a material consideration in evaluating any proposals for re-building. The site lies just outside the Coleford Conservation Area.

The local authority observed that the fire damage had resulted in very significant loss of historic fabric, notably the entire roof structure and its thatch covering, together with a high proportion of the cob walls, whilst the supporting beams had collapsed. As a result, the remaining fabric consisted of the envelope of the building, with evidence of its plan form.

The local authority expresses the opinion that fire damage has undermined the reasons for the building having been listed, and that a re-constructed building, following the form of the original and using similar materials, would not be authentic in terms of the content of historic fabric.

After examining all the records and other relevant information and having considered the facts of the case, it is concluded, with regret, that Berries Brook should be removed from the statutory list.

English Heritage, 2011, Consultation Report of Berries Brook, Coleford (Report - Assessment). SDV348016.

Berries Brook, a thatched cob building thought to have 17th century origins, was largely detroyed by fire in April 2011. The owner would like to build a new house on the site, and we have been asked to consider de-listing the original building.

The site now contains the remains of the original structure, together with a new breeze block wall to north, which has been re-built to provide the necessary support to a room belonging to the neighbouring house which spans the passage between the two buildings. The roof is entirely lost; the original external walls now rise in some places to just above first-floor level, but are in other places much lower. On the eastern, front, elevation, the opening which originally provided a doorway into the southern cottage remains; the opening has been
reduced to a window by a timber insert, apparently added since the time of listing. One window opening remains on this elevation, but the sections of wall which contained the second window and door openings have failed completely. The 20th century north-eastern extension which formerly enclosed the entrance, at the north end of the eastern elevation, largely remains. On the western, street, elevation, the modern sill of a window not mentioned in the list description survives. The cross wall which formerly separated the two cottages is now very considerably reduced, though the lower part of the central chimney stack remains, with the two brick-lined ovens to the rear these are now visible through holes in the wall into which they are set. The floors, formerly supported by chamfered crossbeams, have collapsed.

English Heritage, 2011, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV346128.

Berries Brook, formerly two cottages, mid 17th century. Plastered cob on rubble footings; stone rubble or cob stack with plastered brick top; thatch roof. Pair of contemporary cottages facing east away from road. They have mirror plans comprising inner rooms served by the back-to-back fireplaces in the central stack between the former cottages and small outer entrance lobbies. Two storeys. Symmetrical 4-window front of 20th century casements without glazing bars and doors at each end. Right door now behind a 20th century extension which is made up of reused materials including 19th century tile roof and cob walls of old agricultural store. Roof is hipped each end. Rear wall is blind except for a door to the inner right room. Another to inner left room is now blocked. Interior: is largely original. Each of the larger rooms has a soffit-chamfered and scroll stopped crossbeam and the rubble fireplaces have oak lintels with the same finish. The timbers in the left cottage are more worn than those in right cottage. Fireplaces have ovens on rear side but left cottage fireplace is now lined with slate. Roof is inaccessible but the feet of the truss principals are exposed suggest that the original roof structure survives intact. Well-preserved pair of mid 17th century cottages previously known as Dicklegg Cottages.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5704 - Survey of Berries Brook

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