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Summary

Clematis Cottage in Broadhembury was built in the 16th or 17th century with later alterations

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1281219: CLEMATIS COTTAGE

Other References/Statuses

• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 87060

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COTTAGE NON SPECIFIC (XIV to XVIII - 1400 AD to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Irregular shaped building shown on 19th century map on the south side of the road.

Beacham, P., 1980s, Broadhembury and Gittisham Project, 9/11, Neg No. 564/23A (Un-published). SDV348235.

Site visit 1983. Cob or stone and cob. Thatch looks old and is deteriorating. Part of the Drewe estate.

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

Medieval cross-passage house close to the village centre. Thatched with creamwashed rendered cob walls.
The the west (right) is a cruck framed main wing, probably originally a cross passage and single storey hall, but now floored and containing the passage and a dining room. The rear door to the cross-passage is now disused. It has been altered at the head but appears to have been either a jointed archway, typical of North Devon and West Somerset, or possibly a shouldered arch. The upper part of the hall, in which the tops of the jointed crucks, purlins and the closed cruck at the west are visible, consists of two bays, divided now into a western room, and a small bathroom and water closet with corridor between. The bases of the crucks can be seen at ground floor level. The west wall of the hall is close studded and the building may have originally extended further west.
To the east (left) is a two storeyed heated cross-wing which is probably 16th- or 17th century, though the lower part could be earlier, which contains the sitting room and a small further room with the staircase. The cross-wing roof structure is of two main A-frame trusses with cross pegged apex and ridges, with two rows of purlins running onto the end (east) wall and the stack and then pole rafters. Various bracing around the stack and trusses help to hold the roof together. There is a secondary roof to the rear slope, which was once slated, but is braced off the lower structure. The first floor of the crosswing, which contains the stair, is divided laterally into two rooms. Windows to the cross-wing are all three-light softwood casements. In the hall wing there are Crittal windows to the rear and softwood to the front.
At the far west end of the building a more modern lean-to kitchen has been added.
Thatch to the cross-wing is poor, and requires replacement in the near future. At the same time, revisions should be made to the roof structure, to ensure that the secondary roof is adequately supported. There is a large shake in one cruck rafter, at the joint with the cruck foot, and running through the lwer two pegholes. This is likely to have happened in the early years of its life, and no evidence of recent movement noted.
A large crack in plaster of the dividing wall between the roofspaces is visible from the lower hatch. This is a result of pressure on the braces which support the secondary roof structure, and this is said to have worsened in the last few years. The cieling over the north-east bedroom is bowed, due to deflection in the main beam. Whilst this is not itself a problem, the secondary joists are holding to their mortices by their fingernails, and might easily be disloged. Suitable stainless steel support should be added.
The stair to the first floor is oddly placed, leaving narrow unusable spact to the rear of them. The rear upper room in the cross-wing is reported to have been extremely dam.
Relative thickness of ground and first floor walls was not measured, but if the upper floor and roof were added there may be a problem in construction of the upper wall which will be revealed when the roof is renewed.

Fisher, J., 1999, East Devon Conservation Area Appraisals: Broadhembury, 3, 5-7 (Report - non-specific). SDV346379.

Broadhembury is possibly one of the most perfectly complete villages in Devon in terms of the use of traditional materials which here consist of creamwashed rendered cob on stone footings with characteristic tar band. Roofs are thatched with a plain ridge and many are either hipped or half-hipped. These delightfully organic profiles are further emphasised by the many swept dormers. Most chimneys are exposed brickwork with oversailing upper courses; some have been rendered. Almost all the cottages in the village are listed and many date from the late 16th or 17th century. Other details: Maps, photographs.

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

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

Clematis Cottage. Estate house. Late medieval origins, remodelled in at least 2 phases, one phase possibly 1593 (painted date on front elevation), partly rebuilt and raised at the left (west) end possibly in the late C17; C18 or C19 lean-to addition at the right end. Whitewashed rendered cob and stone; thatched roof of 2 heights with a plain ridge, gabled at ends, lean-to addition slated; axial stack at the junction of the 2 roofs with a stone shaft repaired in brick at the top, right end stack to main range with a modern brick shaft. Plan: The present plan is a 2 room and through passage main range with a 1 room plan single-storey lean-to addition at the right end. The left hand (east) room is deeper, with a narrow service room and stair to the rear. A probably C19 or C20 axial passage at the front links the through passage to the lean-to kitchen. Complex evolution. The house originated as a late medieval open hall, the medieval jointed cruck roof structure, although largely concealed by plaster survives over the right hand (west) end. It is not entirely clear which was the higher end of the medieval house: a feature which may be an internal jetty survives in the right hand room with a framed partition above it but the left hand room has a stack backing on to the passage, suggesting that this may have been the higher end with an inserted hall stack. It is possible that the deeper, left hand room has been entirely rebuilt in the C17 as a parlour, and perhaps raised at the same time. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 2 window front, the roof higher at the left end. Gabled porch to the through passage to the left of the lower-roofed block with a small porch window on the left return and internal benches, C19 plank front door. Late C19 or C20 timber casements with glazing bars, one 3-light first floor casement, one similar ground floor casement to the left hand block, eaves thatch eyebrowed over one 2-light casement in the lower-roofed block to the right, one 3-light ground floor casement. A rendered cob wall to the right (west) of the house is included in the listing. Interior: The left hand side of the through passage has the remains of a plank and muntin screen, this has been cut off at the bottom but retains its head beam, re- sited about 1 metre below the ceiling. A good C17 ovolo-moulded doorframe leads into the left hand room which has a deeply-chamfered axial beam with step stops and an open fireplace with a chamfered lintel, a bread oven and chamfered Beerstone jambs. The right hand room has an axial beam and exposed joists with what may be an internal jetty on the passage side. The fireplace is C20 and the stack may be a late addition. On the first floor there is a framed partition which appears to line up with the joist ends of the putative jetty. The right gable end wall of the main range is of timber stud construction, the studs visible internally. Roof: Side-pegged jointed cruck trusses survive over the right hand end of the house, the left hand end timbers are probably C18 or C19. The apex of the jointed cruck roof is plastered-over in the roofspace but smoke-blackening is visible where the plaster has fallen off, and the timbers date from the open hall phase of the house. An attractively irregular house of medieval origins in an outstanding estate village characterized by cob and thatch houses. One of 8 closely-spaced medieval houses in the village.

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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