Summary

A row of five, mid-C18 former workers’ cottages, with C19 and C20 alterations and additions.

Description

Materials: dressed limestone walls and brick chimney stacks. Nos. 1 to 3 have plain clay tile roofs with a coped verge to No.1; Nos. 4 and 5 have thatched roofs.

Plan: five, single-depth, two-storey cottages, with single-storey lean-tos to the rear of Nos. 1 to 4. There is a C20 extension to the side (north) elevation of No.5.

Exterior: the principal elevation (south-east) comprises five cottages which are each of three bays, apart from No. 3 which is a two-bay dwelling. No. 1 and No. 2 each have a central plank entrance door with gabled porch. To either side at ground- and first-floor level are four-light casement windows. No. 3 has a glazed door with gabled porch. To the right are a 12-light casement window and a 2-light window. To the first floor is an eight-light casement window. No. 4 has a stable door to the right of centre with eight-light casement windows to either side at ground and first-floor level. No. 5 has a plank door to the right of centre with an eight-light casement window to the left and a single casement window to the right. To the first floor are two, two-light leaded casements. Attached to the right return is a C20 single-storey extension. To the rear (north-west) elevation a catslide roof incorporates the single-storey extensions at Nos. 1 to 3. There is one dormer window to the rear of No.1, two dormer windows to No.2 and a gablet and a velux window to No.3. To the rear of No. 4 is a lean-to extension with one eyebrow dormer window to the attic with a two-light casement window, and a single casement to the first floor. To the rear of No. 5 is a single casement and a steel casement window.

Interior: the interior of No. 1 and 3 has not been inspected (2013) but are understood to retain their open fireplaces with bressumers supported on stone jambs and chamfered ceiling beams.
The interior of No.2 was inspected (2013) and has had its fireplace and bread oven removed. The plank doors are C20. It retains its chamfered ceiling beam and joists. There is evidence for a former opening in the original rear wall, to the left of the staircase. The roof structure has been replaced in the late C20, although the C18 principal rafters survive.
Based on the 1987 List entry the interior of No. 4 has an open fireplace with bressumer supported on stone jambs, and plank doors. The interior of No. 5 has a chamfered ceiling beam and blocked open fireplace.

History

Nos. 1 to 5 Sunnybank Cottages form a terrace of five cottages. The cottages are included on a map of the parish dated 1768 (see Sources) and described in the Victoria County History as “a row of thatched cottages”. They are also depicted on the Donhead St Mary tithe map (1841). The first edition Ordnance Survey map (1887) includes the addition of the single-storey lean-to extensions to the rear of Nos. 1, 2 and 3, and depicts a shared passage between No. 2 and No. 3. It also includes an extension to the north-east corner of No. 5, which has since been removed and replaced with a single storey extension to the side elevation. The second edition OS map (1901) includes the lean-to extension to the rear of No. 4.

No. 4 and No. 5 have previously (List entry, 1987) been described as former brewery workers’ cottages; the applicant claims that they are former farm workers’ cottages associated with the neighbouring Sunnybank Farm, now known as Tulip Tree House, which dates from the late C17. Tulip Tree House had a malt house which is referred to on the tithe map and the cottages may have been built to house workers. An early-C19 malt house to the opposite side of the road was owned by Donhead Brewery and these workers may have occupied Sunnybank Cottages.

The sales particulars for No. 2 (1988) and No. 3 (1981) illustrate changes that have occurred in the late C20. No. 2 has had its principal entrance relocated from the right-hand side to the centre. The window to the left has been replaced with a smaller window and a window inserted in the former position of the doorway. The inglenook fireplace was also removed. No. 3 has had its ground- floor window and front door replaced and a further smaller window inserted to the right.

Reasons for Listing

Nos.1 to 5 Sunnybank Cottages, Church Hill are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Intactness: the cottages retain a good proportion of their historic fabric including original wall construction, open fireplaces, chamfered ceiling beams and significant elements of the roof structure;
*Architectural interest: a good example of a group of five attached C18 vernacular cottages employing characteristic local building materials;
*Group value: forms an interesting group with the nearby late-C17 Tulip Tree House and early-C18 Home Cottage which are both listed.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26478880

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

• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)