MSO10576 - Hill Gate Cottage (northeastern), Stoney Street, Luccombe (Building)

Cottage. Early C17, altered C19 and C20. Red sandstone random rubble, rendered to left of entrance, thatched roof half hipped to right, catslide at rear, stepped lateral stack with tall circular chimney and slate roofed bread oven projection to right of entrance, large external stepped stone stack left gable end, lower part masked by double Roman tiled lean-to roofed addition. Plan: 2-cell and cross passage with later outshut at rear. Two storeys, left bay lit only on ground floor with 2-light casement, recessed centre with early C19 leaded iron 2-light casement below eaves and above entrance to right external stack, right return lit C20 3-light casement, ground floor triple Roman tiled 3-light C19 leaded bay, C20 window in outshut, entrance studded diagonal plank door below triple Roman pentice porch. Interior not seen. The recessed central bay is picturesque and mystifying. (Photograph in NMR; Turner, Exmoor Village, 1947). [1] English Heritage Listed Building Number: 265346. First Listed on 22/05/1969. [2] 2-cell Cross passage plan. Stone, Random rubble, Render walls. Half-hipped, Gabled roof [3] The building was surveyed by the National Trust in 1994. They describe it as a possible "two room cottage, originating in 17c, with large lateral stack. Lower end rebuilt 18c/19c and oven added to stack." [4] Where the lane ends are Hill Gate Cottages. The lower of the two is probably early 18th century with two-cell plan with cross-passage and rear outshot added, probably in the early 19th century. It is built of an attractive combination of exposed stone rubble, render, thatch, tiled pentice porch, slated semi-circular projecting bread oven and shouldered stack with round section shaft. The listing details refer to the “picturesque and mystifying” recessed central bay. [5] The building was visited in May 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [6] The building is shown on the 2020 MasterMap data and is one of two properties that are together labelled Hill Gate Cottages. [7] The building is mentioned in the 2018 Conservation Area Appraisal for Luccombe. [8] The building was assessed as part of the 2018-19 rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings, receiving a BAR score of 5. [9]