JoceAndChris
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- Messages
- 6,606
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I'm absolutely thrilled with the decision to give Chateau Joce G2 status. This should, I hope, prevent it being turned into a housing estate at some point in the next 40 years. And I just can't wait to meet the CO! Although - we're still in the sad state of having no budget for any serious alterations or repairs, so it will be a meeting of sheer curiosity on my part.
Many many thanks to our lovely CO on here, Gareth Hughes, as I doubt it'd have happened without his wise and eloquent research and report. And good old EH, they took their time but the report, which I quote from below, is really first class.
"DISCUSSION
Towards the end of the C18 there was an explosion in the number of architectural pattern books exhibiting
designs for villas and cottages, such as Robert Lugar’s Architectural Sketches in the Grecian, Gothic or
Fancy Styles (1805). At least sixty such books were published between 1780 and 1840, and the principles of
Picturesque design and layout were taken up by architects and builders directly from designs such as those
found in J. B. Papworth’s Rural Residences (1818). These houses range from the innovative and opulent, to
the derivative and modest, but all possess merit as reminders of a fascinating chapter in the story of
architectural taste. The Listing Selection Guide for Suburban and Country Houses (English Heritage,
October 2011) explains that such houses should be assessed against the normal selection criteria of age and
rarity, intactness, quality of design, materials, craftsmanship, and historic associations. Houses built between
1700 to about 1840 that survive without substantial alteration will probably warrant listing, although many
houses undergo change and this need not preclude them from being listed. The most important determinant
is whether changes have been positive and contributory, or negative and harmful.
Beacon Cottage is a good example of an early-C19 cottage orné. The crenellated porch and prominent bay
windows impart a touch of the Picturesque to the otherwise simple but well-proportioned elevations. Its plan
form, in which the rooms radiate from a central hall, makes the most of the hill-top location with the principal
rooms facing west over the extensive views. The association of the cottage with the nearby Harrowby Hall,
together with its prominent location and finely detailed interior, suggests that it was built for someone of
relatively high status, possibly as a dower house or a summer house. Whilst estate cottages of this period
often had Picturesque elevations, their interiors would have been much more modest than that of Beacon
Cottage which is characterised by a restrained elegance and delicacy of detailing. It has decorative elements
typical of polite early C19 houses, such as the paired arched openings with a simple roll moulding leading
from the hall, the arched alcove with the same moulding in the principal reception room, the reeded fireplace
surrounds, and the delicate coving and dado rails. High quality materials are used throughout the cottage,
including Derbyshire fossiliferous marble for the fireplaces, and Ancaster stone in the hall which is marked to
create diamond shapes, echoing the diamond glazing bars in the double doors leading into the hall. The
interior has survived with a high degree of intactness. The original roof structure and the extensive
brick-vaulted cellar with storage shelves survive, as does almost all of the joinery, the wide floorboards, and
even the service bells. The only significant alteration has been the addition of the south bay in the 1930s but
this has been carried out sympathetically, using the same building materials and replicating the fenestration.
The survival of the herringbone brick ha-ha adds further interest as a high status element that ensured the
fine views could be enjoyed uninterrupted. Beacon Cottage is a charming and well-preserved example of an
early C19 estate cottage with finely detailed interiors, and as such fully meets the criteria for listing at Grade
II.
CONCLUSION
After examining all the records and other relevant information and having carefully considered the
architectural and historic interest of this case, the criteria for listing are fulfilled. Beacon Cottage is therefore
recommended for listing at Grade II.
History
Beacon Cottage was built in the early C19 on the estate of Harrowby Hall, a small country house dating from
1628 (listed at Grade II*). The cottage is situated to the west of the hall on Halls Hill where it commands fine
views over the Vale of Belvoir, and even Lincoln on a clear day. Cartographic evidence indicates that the
cottage was built between 1814 and 1824. The Ordnance Surveyor’s drawing of 1814 depicts a building on
the site, probably labelled Garnars Barn (now demolished), from which an avenue of trees extended along
the north-east edge of the hill. The first map to show the cottage is the Ordnance Survey 1” map of 1824
which labels it Beacon Cottage and again depicts the avenue of trees. The original purpose and use of the
cottage is unclear. Pevsner refers to it as a late Georgian gamekeeper’s cottage but by the time of the 1839
Tithe Award, it was occupied by the tenant John Hall, a grain merchant who rented 45 acres of the
surrounding land. The Census returns from 1851 to 1911 list the tenant as William Burrows, a corn
merchant, with his wife Mary, seven children and one servant, who rented 200 acres of the surrounding land.
William Burrows is also listed in White’s Directory of Lincolnshire (1856) as the occupier of Beacon Cottage,
one of the four farms mentioned as making up the hamlet of Harrowby. The cottage is some distance from
any farm buildings however, and its prominent position on the hill surrounded by a ha-ha, together with the
elegance of its interiors, suggests that it may have been built for someone of a higher status than a tenant
farmer, or used as a summerhouse by the family at Harrowby Hall. The 1886 Ordnance Survey map shows
that the avenue of trees, which had by this time been reduced in length, is called Lady’s Walk, possibly
suggesting the high status of an early occupant of the cottage. Throughout the early C20 the tenants kept
live-in servants who probably slept in the loft space. During World War I and II soldiers were billeted at the
cottage, leaving evidence of their occupation in the numbers on some of the internal doors.
Beacon Cottage has been subject to a number of alterations. In the early C20 a narrow brick lean-to was
constructed against the north wall over part of the brick-vaulted cellar. In the 1930s a canted bay extension
was built on the south side to provide a music room, and two bathrooms were installed, one of which retains
its original fittings. In the mid-1980s the roof, windows and porch were restored; water and electricity were
supplied; and the original oak guttering was replaced with chestnut guttering lined with lead, replicating the
former design and resembling a modillion eaves cornice. A workshop was built in the garden around the
same time. The timber sash windows are not original as they are horned, but were probably replaced in the
second half of the C19.
Details
MATERIALS: ancaster stone rubble, stuccoed and painted, on a limestone ashlar plinth. Hipped roof clad in
Swithland slate with red clay ridge tiles, and replica chestnut modillion eaves cornice dating to the late C20.
PLAN: rectangular with polygonal bay to the west, bowed porch to the east, canted bay to the south added in
the 1930s, and narrow lean-to projection to the north added in the early C20.
EXTERIOR: the cottage has one storey, a half-cellar and attic. It has regular fenestration consisting of
six-over-six pane horned sash windows with timber glazing bars, probably dating to the second half of the
C19. The east elevation has a central, bowed porch with stone castellations. The C20 shallow-arched,
half-glazed, double-leaf door has an overlight and flanking windows with diamond-leaded glazing. The bays
either side are lit by a sash window, and there is a central, flat-roofed dormer window in the attic. The west
elevation has a central polygonal bay lit by three windows, under a conical roof. The bays either side have
one sash window, and the half-cellar is lit by a pair of casements in the central bay and a small window on the
left. The canted bay on the south elevation has a window on each side. There are two rendered ridge stacks
on the main block and one on the south extension.
INTERIOR: the interior has survived largely unaltered and retains almost all of its original joinery, fireplaces
and other fittings, including service bells. The stone-flagged porch leads through a shallow-ached doorway
with the original double-leaf door, half-glazed with diamond timber glazing bars, into the central hall. This is
paved in Ancaster stone, scored to form a diamond pattern, and provides access to the west-facing room
and, through pairs of semicircular arched openings with a simple roll moulding, to two rooms on the north and
south sides. The south-west room leads into the south extension added in the 1930s. The reception rooms
have delicate coving and skirting boards, wide timber floorboards, and four-panelled doors. The windows
have panelling underneath, panelled soffits and jambs, and retain their shutters and central bars. The
principal west-facing room that occupies the polygonal bay has a wide arched recess in the south wall. This
room and the south-west room have reeded fireplaces with brass roundels, and surrounds and hearths of
Derbyshire fossiliferous marble. The two rooms on the north side have smaller fireplaces, one reeded and
the other with guilloche jambs, and both with diamond grates, moulded timber surrounds and stone hearths.
From the central hall, a half-spiral stone stair leads to the extensive, brick vaulted cellar which provides
access to the stone-lined well, and has alcoves for storage and the remnants of a C19 range. There is a
narrow timber stair leading to the attic in which the original roof, with principal rafters and purlins, is exposed.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the ha-ha on the west side of the cottage is laid in herringbone red brick. The
late C20 workshop in the garden is not of special interest."
Many many thanks to our lovely CO on here, Gareth Hughes, as I doubt it'd have happened without his wise and eloquent research and report. And good old EH, they took their time but the report, which I quote from below, is really first class.
"DISCUSSION
Towards the end of the C18 there was an explosion in the number of architectural pattern books exhibiting
designs for villas and cottages, such as Robert Lugar’s Architectural Sketches in the Grecian, Gothic or
Fancy Styles (1805). At least sixty such books were published between 1780 and 1840, and the principles of
Picturesque design and layout were taken up by architects and builders directly from designs such as those
found in J. B. Papworth’s Rural Residences (1818). These houses range from the innovative and opulent, to
the derivative and modest, but all possess merit as reminders of a fascinating chapter in the story of
architectural taste. The Listing Selection Guide for Suburban and Country Houses (English Heritage,
October 2011) explains that such houses should be assessed against the normal selection criteria of age and
rarity, intactness, quality of design, materials, craftsmanship, and historic associations. Houses built between
1700 to about 1840 that survive without substantial alteration will probably warrant listing, although many
houses undergo change and this need not preclude them from being listed. The most important determinant
is whether changes have been positive and contributory, or negative and harmful.
Beacon Cottage is a good example of an early-C19 cottage orné. The crenellated porch and prominent bay
windows impart a touch of the Picturesque to the otherwise simple but well-proportioned elevations. Its plan
form, in which the rooms radiate from a central hall, makes the most of the hill-top location with the principal
rooms facing west over the extensive views. The association of the cottage with the nearby Harrowby Hall,
together with its prominent location and finely detailed interior, suggests that it was built for someone of
relatively high status, possibly as a dower house or a summer house. Whilst estate cottages of this period
often had Picturesque elevations, their interiors would have been much more modest than that of Beacon
Cottage which is characterised by a restrained elegance and delicacy of detailing. It has decorative elements
typical of polite early C19 houses, such as the paired arched openings with a simple roll moulding leading
from the hall, the arched alcove with the same moulding in the principal reception room, the reeded fireplace
surrounds, and the delicate coving and dado rails. High quality materials are used throughout the cottage,
including Derbyshire fossiliferous marble for the fireplaces, and Ancaster stone in the hall which is marked to
create diamond shapes, echoing the diamond glazing bars in the double doors leading into the hall. The
interior has survived with a high degree of intactness. The original roof structure and the extensive
brick-vaulted cellar with storage shelves survive, as does almost all of the joinery, the wide floorboards, and
even the service bells. The only significant alteration has been the addition of the south bay in the 1930s but
this has been carried out sympathetically, using the same building materials and replicating the fenestration.
The survival of the herringbone brick ha-ha adds further interest as a high status element that ensured the
fine views could be enjoyed uninterrupted. Beacon Cottage is a charming and well-preserved example of an
early C19 estate cottage with finely detailed interiors, and as such fully meets the criteria for listing at Grade
II.
CONCLUSION
After examining all the records and other relevant information and having carefully considered the
architectural and historic interest of this case, the criteria for listing are fulfilled. Beacon Cottage is therefore
recommended for listing at Grade II.
History
Beacon Cottage was built in the early C19 on the estate of Harrowby Hall, a small country house dating from
1628 (listed at Grade II*). The cottage is situated to the west of the hall on Halls Hill where it commands fine
views over the Vale of Belvoir, and even Lincoln on a clear day. Cartographic evidence indicates that the
cottage was built between 1814 and 1824. The Ordnance Surveyor’s drawing of 1814 depicts a building on
the site, probably labelled Garnars Barn (now demolished), from which an avenue of trees extended along
the north-east edge of the hill. The first map to show the cottage is the Ordnance Survey 1” map of 1824
which labels it Beacon Cottage and again depicts the avenue of trees. The original purpose and use of the
cottage is unclear. Pevsner refers to it as a late Georgian gamekeeper’s cottage but by the time of the 1839
Tithe Award, it was occupied by the tenant John Hall, a grain merchant who rented 45 acres of the
surrounding land. The Census returns from 1851 to 1911 list the tenant as William Burrows, a corn
merchant, with his wife Mary, seven children and one servant, who rented 200 acres of the surrounding land.
William Burrows is also listed in White’s Directory of Lincolnshire (1856) as the occupier of Beacon Cottage,
one of the four farms mentioned as making up the hamlet of Harrowby. The cottage is some distance from
any farm buildings however, and its prominent position on the hill surrounded by a ha-ha, together with the
elegance of its interiors, suggests that it may have been built for someone of a higher status than a tenant
farmer, or used as a summerhouse by the family at Harrowby Hall. The 1886 Ordnance Survey map shows
that the avenue of trees, which had by this time been reduced in length, is called Lady’s Walk, possibly
suggesting the high status of an early occupant of the cottage. Throughout the early C20 the tenants kept
live-in servants who probably slept in the loft space. During World War I and II soldiers were billeted at the
cottage, leaving evidence of their occupation in the numbers on some of the internal doors.
Beacon Cottage has been subject to a number of alterations. In the early C20 a narrow brick lean-to was
constructed against the north wall over part of the brick-vaulted cellar. In the 1930s a canted bay extension
was built on the south side to provide a music room, and two bathrooms were installed, one of which retains
its original fittings. In the mid-1980s the roof, windows and porch were restored; water and electricity were
supplied; and the original oak guttering was replaced with chestnut guttering lined with lead, replicating the
former design and resembling a modillion eaves cornice. A workshop was built in the garden around the
same time. The timber sash windows are not original as they are horned, but were probably replaced in the
second half of the C19.
Details
MATERIALS: ancaster stone rubble, stuccoed and painted, on a limestone ashlar plinth. Hipped roof clad in
Swithland slate with red clay ridge tiles, and replica chestnut modillion eaves cornice dating to the late C20.
PLAN: rectangular with polygonal bay to the west, bowed porch to the east, canted bay to the south added in
the 1930s, and narrow lean-to projection to the north added in the early C20.
EXTERIOR: the cottage has one storey, a half-cellar and attic. It has regular fenestration consisting of
six-over-six pane horned sash windows with timber glazing bars, probably dating to the second half of the
C19. The east elevation has a central, bowed porch with stone castellations. The C20 shallow-arched,
half-glazed, double-leaf door has an overlight and flanking windows with diamond-leaded glazing. The bays
either side are lit by a sash window, and there is a central, flat-roofed dormer window in the attic. The west
elevation has a central polygonal bay lit by three windows, under a conical roof. The bays either side have
one sash window, and the half-cellar is lit by a pair of casements in the central bay and a small window on the
left. The canted bay on the south elevation has a window on each side. There are two rendered ridge stacks
on the main block and one on the south extension.
INTERIOR: the interior has survived largely unaltered and retains almost all of its original joinery, fireplaces
and other fittings, including service bells. The stone-flagged porch leads through a shallow-ached doorway
with the original double-leaf door, half-glazed with diamond timber glazing bars, into the central hall. This is
paved in Ancaster stone, scored to form a diamond pattern, and provides access to the west-facing room
and, through pairs of semicircular arched openings with a simple roll moulding, to two rooms on the north and
south sides. The south-west room leads into the south extension added in the 1930s. The reception rooms
have delicate coving and skirting boards, wide timber floorboards, and four-panelled doors. The windows
have panelling underneath, panelled soffits and jambs, and retain their shutters and central bars. The
principal west-facing room that occupies the polygonal bay has a wide arched recess in the south wall. This
room and the south-west room have reeded fireplaces with brass roundels, and surrounds and hearths of
Derbyshire fossiliferous marble. The two rooms on the north side have smaller fireplaces, one reeded and
the other with guilloche jambs, and both with diamond grates, moulded timber surrounds and stone hearths.
From the central hall, a half-spiral stone stair leads to the extensive, brick vaulted cellar which provides
access to the stone-lined well, and has alcoves for storage and the remnants of a C19 range. There is a
narrow timber stair leading to the attic in which the original roof, with principal rafters and purlins, is exposed.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the ha-ha on the west side of the cottage is laid in herringbone red brick. The
late C20 workshop in the garden is not of special interest."
