Description

COCKERMOUTH

803/0/10004 HIGH LORTON
17-MAR-04 Kent Cottage

GV II
Small house. Late C18,incorporating elements of an earlier dwelling , and now with minor C20 alterations. Rubble stone with painted render coat to front elevation, gable chimneys and a slate roof covering.

PLAN: Continuous rear offshut plan, the offshut accommodating the stair and the ground floor service rooms.

EXTERIOR: Near-symmetrical front elevation of 2 storeys and 2 bays, with central doorway enclosed within later gabled open porch. 4-panel front door with pointed heads to upper panels. Flanking the doorway are stacked 6 over 6 pane sash windows within painted dressed stone surrounds. Rear elevation now partially enclosed within late C20 greenhouse, but with 2-light mullioned window to ground floor kitchen and 2 over 2 pane sash to stair landing.

INTERIOR: 2 ground floor rooms each with late C18 hearth surrounds, that to left-hand living room with moulded mantle shelf and added C19 brick oven to left. Parlour with smaller hearth with moulded surround. Both rooms retain wide late C18 3-panel doors. The wall between the kitchen and the living room incorporates a re-sited spice cupboard. Stair within rear offshut has stone steps, slender turned balusters and a moulded ramped handrail. Flanking walls incorporate windows for borrowed light. Upper floor bedrooms with plank doors and small contemporary hearths. Forms a group with 'Midtown'(q.v.)to the north.

SOURCE: Brunskill, R.W. Traditional Buildings of Cumbria. pp 77-79. 2002.

Kent Cottage is of special architectural interest as a little altered and well-preserved example of a continuous rear offshut plan house, retaining much original historic fabric and contemporary fixtures and fittings. The continuous rear offshut is recognised as a characteristic Cumbrian vernacular plan type for the period 1730 to 1830. It has strong group value with the adjacent listed 'Midtown'.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26670220

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  For the Record