Walnut Tree Cottage, Cross-Passage House, Holnicote Estate

Summary

A very complete and unspoiled example of a 16c cross-passage and two room ( or just very possibly truncated three room) dwelling, built in the old tradition of a jointed cruck roof, but with the innovative chimney and first floor giving much greater comfort. Two storey, tile roof over walls of lime washed rubble stone.

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Description

Small two storey two cell cross-passage house with front lateral stack and rear oven. The hall window is set forward on the same line as the stack, as at Holmhurst ( 115,013). The south wall is very irregular. The rear has a lean-to along most of its length, the north end butts onto the stair turret. The lean-to roof is steeply pitched from just below the house eaves, and covers nearly all the turret. Set against the north wall is a single-storey gable-ended extension, with a small single cell building ( privy) on its northeast corner. The latter has a part catslide, part gabled roof.

Roof over house gable ended, raking dormer just south of stack, and slightly raked dormer in rear elevation, with flat roof below cut into lean-to.

Cobbled path to front and outbuilding doors.

Roof of house triple "V" tiles with collared ridge tiles. Oven roof semi-conical, slates cut to fit, as at Holmhurst. Lean-to of double roman tiles. Walls of lime washed rubble stone with black tar band. Eaves raised, timber visible on north end of front and rear elevations indicates old eaves line. Lean-to rubble stone with vertical break visible. North wall of extension over-pointed, with mortar covering half the stonework.

16c cross-passage two ( or possibly three) cell house, two storey, with front stack and open fireplace, and rear stair turret. The first floor seems to have been divided into two, with the partition closing off the space over the cross passage. The house was thatched, with the roof sweeping down a little over the south end. In the 18c/ early 19c the outhouse was built on north end, and lean-to added to south end of rear elevation ( shown on 1841 Porlock Tithe Map). Present Garden Store added mid 19c as lean-to on rear of stair turret, privy added to northeast corner of north outbuilding. ( Shown on 1889 OS Somerset Sheet XXXIV 2 scale 1:2,500). Possibly at this time or c. 1900 the set pan copper was built in the northeast corner of kitchen. Partition between bedrooms G and H inserted. In the late 1960's part of north outbuilding included in house as bathroom. On first floor, partition along landing gave privacy to bedrooms G and H, window to H put in. All floors downstairs concreted and asphalted. Chimney of set pan copper removed. Privy converted to coal shed. ( Plan in Estate Office; No. 226).

Important Features:
External appearance with front stack and oven.
Two jointed cruck trusses and original purlins, north truss closed (16c).
Original partition in bedroom I (16c).
Rear stair turret with stone steps, oak treads, and mullion window (16c).
Beam in sitting room, heavy joists in sitting room and store room (16c).
Open fireplace and oven in sitting room ( fireplace blocked with 20c grate) (16c).
Plank and ledge doors ( sitting room, bedroom G) frame and door ( bedroom I).
Leaded light windows ( sitting room, store room, bedrooms G, H and I).

In a good state of repair.

Outbuildings:

Workshop: Front half of gabled extension on north end of house ( the other half is the bathroom, there is no interconnection). Roof of double roman tiles with collared ridge tiles over walls of random rubble stone. Shown on the 1841 Porlock Tithe map. External features: external appearance, plank and batten door. In a good state of repair.

Garden Store: Small lean-to extension to main house, roof continuous with kitchen extension, but not interconnected. Roof of double roman tiles, also covering stair turret from just below house eaves. Walls as rear of house, butted on to kitchen. Appears to be shown on 1841 Porlock Tithe Map and 1889 OS first edition 1:2,500 Somerset sheet XXXIV.2. Important features: blocked stair turret window in southwest corner ( rear wall of stair turret). In a good state of repair.

Privy/ Coalshed: A small square single storey corner extension added on with no interconnection. Roof of triple V tiles, partly raked from outbuilding with partly offset ridge, much lower eaves to west. Walls of rubble stone with brick at the top of the jambs. Shown on the 1889 OS first edition 1:2,500 map ( Somerset sheet XXXIV.2) but not on the 1841 Porlock Tithe map. Important feature: part of the 19c provision for the house. In a good state of repair.

The house was recorded as part of the Holnicote Estate Survey in 2001 and is described as: 'a small late 16c-17c cottage, one and a half storey, with cross-passage, hall and inner room, it is possible that the lower room has been removed in the past. A single storey outhouse is now in this position. Front stack with oven and rear stair turret, roof structure two pairs of jointed crucks, not smoke-blackened. The stair turret has stone steps with oak treads on them and a mullion window. The walnut tree, which was massive, was removed in January 1952 for safety reasons.' [2]

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