Description
Two storey single pile three cell house, the right hand end angled back to give access to and from the bridge. Three raked dormer windows on first floor. Bake oven with conical roof on left end of front, partly external stack on right end, and first floor chamber supported by pillars and corbel forms a porch on the east end. Roof single ridge, the east end of the ridge dropping and turning northwards as it comes down over the porch chamber roof. A hip on the front at this end helps to turn the roof, the porch is fully hipped.
The west end has lean-to outbuildings on it, and an internal stack, emerging in front of the ridge. The rear has a two storey gabled wing near the northwest corner with an internal lateral stack, and a smaller single storey wing of two builds with a gable end near the east end. Between the two is a single storey lean-to, belonging to No. 29. All roofs have double roman tiles, with matching ridge tiles. The front hip has V-ridge tiles. The front pitch has very obvious metal flashings round the stacks and dormers. The oven roof is of slate.
Front walls of rubble stone, main build local grey-green and purple waterworn, squared in quoins and with outer surface flattened. Round the door ( to No. 29, Packhorse Cottage) and windows is a large obvious patch of red sandstone, this does not extend below the west window. Both ground floor windows have segmental stone arched lintels. The lintels over the southeast facing wall are similar, the lower one has pecked stonework, the upper shows signs of water erosion. The west wall was probably originally hipped, line of stack apparent above lean-to with red sandstone infill to north. North wall, near west end, has large patch of red sandstone, not reaching to ground level nor to the quoin. It may mark the position of a rear wing replaced by the present one, which is late 19c, one is shown clearly on the 1842 Selworthy Tithe map. Rear wing ( No. 29) has larger pieces of rubble stone with brick quoins, jambs and segmental arches over rear windows. Slate sills survive. Lateral internal stack in west wall. Rear wing ( No. 30) red sandstone, added to earlier, mainly red sandstone, lean-to ( c. 1980). Porch chamber rests on two large square timber supports, held by metal brackets in concrete footings. These are recent ( 1991) and replaced two timbers which were rotting at ground level, the north one sinking, probably as the walnut tree roots rotted away ( details in Clerk of Works office, Holnicote). Against the house the chamber is supported by a large stone corbel to the south, and a rubble stone pillar to the north. The structure is presumably set on beams. Built of smaller rubble stone, mainly red sandstone.
Probably two storey three room house on site with rear stair turret, ( wall thicknesses are between 0.45-0.50m, so it is not likely to be 16c/17c). Shown on 1809-1812 Holnicote Estate map, when it was part of the Manor of East Luccombe and is recorded as 'House by Allerford Bridge', obviously bigger than a cottage. It had a garden, little garden and 'plot' in Allerford, a total of 2 roods 24 poles. It was occupied by Grace Kent. On the 1841 Selworthy Tithe map it is No. 128 occupied by John and Thomas Floyde. Two rear additions are shown on the Tithe map, presumably a wash-house/ scullery for each cottage. When it was divided into two cottages, stairs were inserted in the north east corner for the northern cottage. Room over southern access door probably built in the 19c. In the late 19c rear wing of No. 29 built, similar to those on 24 ( 115,024) and 25 ( 115,025) Allerford. It probably replaced earlier buildings in this position. Bathrooms inserted 1960s. In 1984 kitchen of Meadowside extended to east.
Important Features:
External appearance with porch and oven.
Living room open fireplace and oven.
Probable open fireplace in dining room ( No. 30).
Cast iron fireplace bedroom J ( No. 29).
Rear stair turret ( No. 29).
Plank and batten doors, moulded surrounds on doorways.
Front door ( No. 30).
Leaded light window in bedroom R ( No. 30).
Casement windows and older fixtures.
In a good state of repair.
Outbuildings:
Packhorse Cottage ( No. 29):
Store, Coal House, Privy: Lean-to on west end of house ( on 1889 map, not apparent on 1876 Holnicote Estate map but possibly on 1842 Selworthy Tithe map), mid 19c. Roof of pantiles over walls of rubble stone with larger squared stones in quoins. Important features: external appearance, plank and batten doors. In a fair state of repair.
Meadowside ( No. 30):
Wood Store, Privy and Garden Store: Small rectangular outbuilding, set on north bank of river immediately east of the ford. Single storey, gable ended. Not shown on the 1876 Holnicote Estate map but marked on the 1889 OS Somerset sheet XXXIV.2, scale 1:2,500. Roof of pantiles with V-ridge tiles, walls of waterworn rubble stone with squared in quoins and jambs. Important features: external appearance with pantiles, plank and batten doors, cobbled floors. In a fair state of repair - the river has washed away the stone facing of the bank below the building, erosion will soon start to undermine the walls.
Car Port: Rectangular, single pitch roofed building with open front. Roof of corrugated iron with clear PVC sheets over walls of corrugated iron round base with vertical planks above. In a poor state of repair. [1]
Recorded as part of the 2001 Holnicote Estate Survey as Packhorse Cottage (155029) and Meadowside (115030).
Packhorse Cottage No. 29: The front elevation. Rear one and a half storey wing, and a lean-to on the west end add to the accommodation. The internal plan has been altered, part of the cross-passage and of the hall have been included in the bathroom. The modern main living room is probably the original lower room, unaltered. There are three bedrooms on the first floor.
Meadowside No. 30: the front elevation. Rear one and a half storey wing, and a lean-to on the west end add to the accommodation. The internal plan has been altered, part of the cross-passage and of the hall have been included in the bathroom. The modern main living room is probably the original lower room, unaltered. There are three bedrooms on the first floor.
This house, with site 115030 [Meadowside] and the packhorse bridge, Graded II* (site 115426) is one of the most photographed buildings on the Estate. [2]