3 & 4 Bossington, Bossington, Holnicote Estate

Summary

Originally a single dwelling, three room and cross- passage, dating from the early 17c, probably on an older house site. Now two cottages. Two storey, main house roofed with thatch over walls of mainly roughly coursed rubble stone.

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Description

Single pile two storey pair of cottages, formerly all one house. Double porch added to front with flat four centred curved arches and a shallow lean-to roof. To the rear are two lean-to extensions. Main house thatch, cut out over front first floor windows, fully hipped at west end with a tiny ridge to rear lateral stack. Re-thatching of the front roof and ridge was taking place at the time of the survey of No 4 ( July 1992), older thatch remaining on rear. Half-hip with double roman tiles as flashing round end of east axial stack. Front porches and rear lean-tos, double roman tiles; west lean-to set slightly lower ( c 0.5m). East lean-to has two glass tiles lighting scullery.

Mainly roughly coursed rubble stone walls with patchy render and limewash on front and west side, otherwise rubble stone apart from northwest extension which is fully rendered, and limewashed over with black tar band. Brick buttress near east end front elevation of No. 4. Rear has cob above first floor, very pebbly. There is a break where the angled wall joins the rear wall of the lean-to. Rear window ( bathroom K) has brick quoins.

Built as a single storey house, early 17c, probably a farmhouse, three room and cross-passage, probably on an older house site as the base of some of the walls is very thick. Cob still shows at first floor level in the rear wall and may exist on the front. The site of the original staircase is not apparent.

In the late 18c/ early 19c divided into two cottages, front corner stacks and porches added. Window openings modified and new windows fitted. Small rear porch or lean-to on No. 3 by 1841 ( shown on Porlock Tithe map). Mid 19c present lean-to added to rear of No. 3 ( on 1876 Holnicote Estate map). Lean-to on rear of No. 4 added between 1876 and 1889 ( shown on 1889 OS Somerset sheet XXXIV.2, scale 1:2,500). Bathroom inserted in rear lean-to of No. 3 in 1967 ( Estate records ref: plan 233). Bathroom probably inserted in No. 4 during the 1960's.

Important Features:
Early external appearance with thatched roof and two round chimney uppers.
Early 17c transverse beams.
Roof - ( A-frame trusses and thatch).
Open fireplaces ( blocked) in both living rooms.
Cast iron fireplaces in bedrooms D ( No. 3) and L ( No. 4).
Plank and ledge doors, particularly bedroom E ( No. 3), living room ( No. 4) D3, bedroom M ( No. 4) D1.
Casement windows.

In a good state of repair.

No. 4 Bossington:

Linhay, now cattle shelter: One and a half storey open fronted traditional linhay with four round pillars and one cross wall at ground floor level. Roof thatch, netted all over, half-hipped at each end. Walls mostly water worn river stone, mainly purple, a few pieces of lias, pillars were mortared and probably whitened. Concrete block manger along rear wall. South end of front filled with "hit and miss" boards. Walls form a yard for cattle in front of the linhay in the traditional manner. Late 17c/ 18c, appears to be shown on the 1809 Holnicote estate map. Important features: external appearance, an excellent example of a thatched linhay with round pillars and loft, still in use. In a good state of repair. Grade II Listed (GV).

Lean-to on Linhay, possibly a former privy: A single storey, single cell lean-to on the north end wall of the Linhay. Roof of double roman tiles over walls of flattish waterworn stone, mainly purple. Shown on 1903 OS 2nd edition Somerset sheet XXXIV.2 but not on 1889 OS 1st edition. In a fairly good state of repair.

Pigsty, now dog kennel: Small rectangular freestanding single storey outbuilding. Gabled roof, double roman tiles with matching ridge. Walls of waterworn rubble stone, probably from river, "hit and miss" boarding near door. Shown on the 1889 OS 1:2,500 first edition Somerset sheet XXXIV.2 but not on the 1876 Holnicote Estate map. Important feature: external appearance. In a good state of repair.

Modern Outbuilding, cattle/ goose/ pig shelter: Modern prefabricated lean-to building of modern construction to rear of Linhay. Roof plasticised corrugated iron over walls of corrugated iron and modern iron cladding at north end on wood supports. Post 1973, a smaller building is shown occupying part of the present site between 1903 and 1973 ( OS 1:2,500 maps 1903 2nd edition, 1929 revision and 1973 SS 8948). In a good state of repair.

Field Shelter/ Store: Small field shelter on posts, single pitch roof. Roof of corrugated asbestos. Walls six posts, with north and east sides protected by stone walls of field corner. Corrugated iron along east side above field bank. Not shown on 1929 OS Somerset sheet XXXIV.2 but on 1973 SS 8943, scale 1:2,500. In a fair state of repair. [1]

The cottages were recorded seperately as 115003 & 115004 as part of the Holnicote Estate Survey in 2001 and is described as:

3 Bosington: north western half of a late16c – early 17c cross-passage two storey house, roof structure replaced, thatched with rubble sandstone walls. Rear stack in north corner and first floor stack in west corner, both with rounded uppers. Paired porches over front doors of this cottage and site 115004 add to the attraction of these much-painted cottages. Rear lean-to, single storey, houses kitchen. The main living room is the combined cross passage and lower room. Three bedrooms on the first floor (was four, the large bedroom appeared to have two fireplaces). The bedrooms oversail the living room of 4 Bossington.

4 Bossington: arger part of the three room cross-passage house described in site 115003, the ground floor occupying the hall (main living-room) and inner room of the house. Rear single storey lean-to with bathroom and scullery. Two bedrooms on the first floor.
The linhay is six bay having a thatched roof on 17c trusses, with rubble stone walls and rounded front pillars. It is one and a half storey with a gap along the loft floor to let hay be dropped into the mangers. The yard in front is enclosed, in traditional fashion. [2]

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