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Summary

A fine 16th century cottage, probably a church house, of rubble stone with a gabled roof which is slated to the front and thatched at the rear. The interior has some rich carpentry detail including plank and muntin screens.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1204377: CHURCH GATE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10SW/110
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: ST10SW 24

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHURCH HOUSE (Built, XVI - 1501 AD to 1600 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, ST10SW 24 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV340175.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Three adjoining buildings shown on 19th century map to the north-west of the parish church.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Beacham, P., 1980s, Broadhembury and Gittisham Project, 9/5, Neg No. 564/18A, 20A (Un-published). SDV348235.

Thatch at rear patched and rethatched in 1977 and 1979 respectively as part of a scheme grant aided by Devon County Council.
Site visit 1983. Local stone, grey slate roof [to front].

Caroe & Partners, 1997, Broadhembury Village. Draft Survey of Condition (Report - Survey). SDV344616.

A very fine 16th century cottage, probably a church house, under a part slate (front) and part thatch (rear) roof. Unusual plan form; single depth with heated rooms each side of an unheated central service room. The axial passage along the front was originally served by the central door which is soon to be reinstated.
There is no evidence of an original internal stair, but two blocked doors at first floor level suggest an external stair servicing what may have been two communal rooms on the first floor. A 20th century stair from the axial passage and partly cutting across the service room now serves the firs floor.
The interior is rich in fine joinery. The central service room is formed by plank and muntin screens, the left and right extending to the front wall with doorways with cranked lintels leading to the parlour at the east end and the kitchen at the west. The parlour has richly-moulded intersecting beams with a 17th century turned vertical post at the intersection.
At the time of inspection the interior was undergoing repair and redecoration. The thatch to the rear slope had recently been replaced. The house is generally in good order.

Google, 2014, Google Streetview (Website). SDV355684.

Comparison between the Google image, dated 2009, and the 1983 photos shows the ground floor front elevation of the house to have been altered. The front door with rustic porch on the 1983 photos has been removed and the opening blocked and the original doorway, which had been replaced by a small window, reinstated. The lean-to on the northern end of the building is thatched.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

Church Gate. House, probably a church house. C16, some C20 renovations. Stone rubble; roof gabled at ends, slate to the front of the ridge, thatch to the rear. Thatched lean- to at right end; end stacks, the shaft of the left end stack Beerstone ashlar mixed with a grey freestone, modern brick repair at the top; right end stack with a larger shaft of similar construction with a moulded cornice. Plan: Extremely interesting historic plan form: a single depth range with heated rooms to left and right, the left hand room a high quality parlour, the right hand room probably a kitchen. In the centre an unheated service room behind an axial passage along the front; there was originally a central entrance into the axial passage. There is no evidence of an original internal stair but 2 blocked first floor doorways on the front suggest that external staircases existed, leading to what may have been one or two large rooms on the first floor serving some kind of communal function. Alterations have involved moving the front door to right of centre and the creation of a through passage between the kitchen and the service room. A C20 stair has been introduced, leading off the axial passage and partly cutting through the service room, the first floor has been repartitioned. The original plan form, nevertheless, is surprisingly complete for a church house. Exterior: 2 storeys. Tall, asymmetrical 4 window front with a rustic porch on posts to right of centre (a C20 replacement) and a C20 plank front door. The original doorway, to the left of the present door, has been blocked and converted to a window; 1-light C16 window to the left with a hollow-chamfered Beerstone frame. To the right of the porch straight joints indicate a blocked window. On the first floor 2 blocked doorways to left and right of centre, to the extreme left a 3-light timber mullioned window with external glazing. 3 probably C20 windows to the centre and right. The rear elevation has a good C16 3-light Beerstone mullioned window lighting the parlour with hollow-chamfered mullions stanchions and leaded panes, some old and retaining old glass. Interior: Very rich in carpentry and joinery. The unheated service room in the centre is formed by tall oak plank and muntin screens, the left and right screens extending to the front wall with original chamfered doorframes with cranked lintels leading into the parlour and (formerly) into the kitchen. The service room is entered from the axial passage through a similar doorframe: a massive deep-chamfered crossbeam with scroll stops runs through the screen above the doorframe. The parlour, at the left end, has richly-moulded intersecting beams to the ceiling. A probably late C17 turned vertical post has been added in the centre of the room, presumably to give additional support to the ceiling. C20 fireplace, possibly concealing earlier features. The kitchen has a massive, partly blocked fireplace retaining an early lintel; a doorway adjacent to the stack, leading into the lean-to has a stone segmental lintel. The first floor has a set of chamfered stopped crossbeams. Roof: Not inspected at time of survey but quite likely to be contemporary with the building. Church Gate is sited immediately north-west of the parish church, its specialized plan form, rich carpentry detail and position in an outstanding estate village makes it of particular importance.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4709 - Condition Survey, Broadhembury Village
• EDV5626 - Broadhembury and Gittisham Thatch Survey

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