MSO10631 - Highpark, Wootton Courtenay (Building)

A cottage dating to the late 17th Century, enlarged in the 18th Century to form two dwellings and converted back into one dwelling in the late 20th Century. They were the tied cottages for Brookside Farm in the 20th Century.

Cottage, enlarged to 2 dwellings, converted subsequently to one. Late C17, enlarged C18, altered late C20. Rendered over rubble and cob, thatched roof hipped to right, large external stone stack left gable end. Plan: probably originally single cell with 2-bay linhay adjoining, enlarged one bay with outshut to form 2 dwellings, now one. One and a half storeys, 3-bays, 2 and 3-light C19 and C20 casements, three 2-light dormers rising from below eaves, ground floor 3 windows left and one right of studded plank door. Interior: blocked lateral stack at rear to right of cross passage in addition, large circular pier to left, wattle and daub partition, left gable end fireplace with bread oven. Principal rafter roof of 3 pairs of trusses, pair in earlier part with cross apices carrying the ridge. Plastered reed ceilings. It has been suggested that this was originally a 2 cell dwelling, the rear wall of one unit was demolished and a circular pier inserted to form linhay, now one dwelling. (VAG Report, unpublished SRO, April 1983). [1,12] English Heritage Listed Building Number: 265406. First Listed on 05/06/1985. [3] 3-cell plan. Earth, Stone, Render walls. Hipped, Gabled roof [4] 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. [5] Highpark is a thatched and rendered stone rubble and cob cottage dating to the late 17th Century but enlarged in the 18th Century to two dwellings before being returned to a single dwelling in the 20th Century. It may have begun as a single cell plan with attached two bay linhay, or the linhay may have been formed from the alteration of a second cell. The interior included plastered reed ceilings, a wattle and daub partition, and fireplace with bread oven. There are also 19th Century casement windows and a studded plank door. [6] The 2018 Conservation Area Appraisal contains a similar description to that written in 2003 [6]. [7] Part of the Wootton Courtenay Estate and sold as lot 21 at auction by James Huntly Dutton on 14th April 1921 to John Reed, who also purchased Brookside Farm (MEM24775). The cottages became the workmens' tied cottages for the site, but were turned back into one house in the late 20th Century. The houses were described as "a pair of Well-placed Semi-detached Cottages with Gardens", which included pigstys for each house. [8] The buildings are shown on 2020 MasterMap data and labelled Highpark. [9] 1 file collated by RCHME on the site. [10,12] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11] The building was assessed as part of the 2018-19 rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings, receiving a BAR score of 5. [13]