Description

SLAPTON START
SX84SW Langford Down Cottage
formerly known as
8/123 Cottage at Langford
Down)

GV II

House. Circa mid C17 or earlier with C19 and C20 alterations. Colourwashed
stone rubble and plastered cob under the eaves. Thatched roof with gabled
ends, the left hand (west) gable has slate coping and grouted slate roof to
stair turret. Large stone rubble gable end stacks with slate weathering to
short shafts.
Plan and development: 2 room and through passage plan, the lower end to the
left (west), the higher right hand end built into bank, on steeply sloping
site. Both room heated from gable end stacks. The larger lower left end
room was the kitchen and has a stair turret on the rear left hand corner.
The higher right hand room was the parlour. The central through passage
front doorway has been blocked and 2 doorways have been inserted giving
direct access into both rooms, implying it might have been divided formerly
into 2 cottages. Since the roof space was inaccessible it is not known
whether the house was originally open to the roof.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 3 window range. Small C20 2-light
casements with glazing bars, the ground floor centre window has a hood mould
and is in the original front doorway of the through passage. Later doorways
to left and right of centre with C20 glazed doors, the right hand doorway
has a C20 thatched canopy. Rear north elevation is built into bank at left
hand end where there are small C20 casements under the eaves. To the right
a large semi-circular stair turret with a grouted slate roof. To the left
of the stair turret a small C20 wooden outshut. There are no windows in
either gable end; the right hand (east) gable end stack projects.
Interior: Lower left end room fireplace has renewed timber lintel, dressed
slate jambs and stone oven with clay lining under the stair. To left of
fireplace a small niche high in wall. The lower end room has a chamfered
cross-beam without stops, the joints are boarded over. The higher right end
room has renewed ceiling with later joists and no beam, its fireplace has a
cambered chamfered timber lintel with run-out stops. The stone newel
staircase rises from the left end room. The first floor rooms are unspoilt
and retain old wall plaster and plank doors.
The feet of straight principal raters are visible and there is one raised
cruck truss over the lower end with mortice for a threaded purlin. The roof
space was inaccessible at the time of survey 1988.

Listing NGR: SX8108444903

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26401769

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House