2 Grove Cottages

Cadw's description

Location

Located on the E side of the lane which leads to St Mary's Abbey Church. The W gable end of the building faces the road.

History

A range in the position of the cottages is marked 'Smiths Shops' in a survey of 1814. The cottages were remodelled or rebuilt in the mid C19 to accommodate gardeners working on the Margam estate. No 2, the larger cottage was for a married gardener and no 3 for an unmarried gardener. Areas of early fabric suggest C17-18 origins, while some of the dressings may have been reused from the former Margam House. The rear wing to no 3 is later and is not shown on the Ordnance Survey of 1876. The cottages were modernised by West Glamorgan County Council in the early 1990s.

Exterior

Doorway is R of centre and symmetrically placed between flanking windows. Flat-headed Tudor doorway with chamfered limestone dressings. Heavy planked door with hinge down centre and iron strapwork. Small single-storey wing against E gable end with single light to front (originally for hanging bacon). Two gabled half-dormers to rear containing late C20 windows under flat stone lintels. Single-light windows below and further light offset between.

Interior

Straight stair opposite entrance, with rooms to L and R. The principal room to the L has a stone fireplace, possibly C17, with recess for a bakeoven. The lintel no longer survives. The smaller room to the E has a renewed cast iron fireplace. A door to the rear leads to a galley kitchen. The roof structure is C19.

Reason for designation

Listed as a well preserved pair of C19 estate cottages with earlier features. Group value with other nearby structures on the Margam estate.