3 Grove Cottages

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

No 3 is 1-window to the front. Ridge stack to R (shared with No 2) and side stack to W of rear wing. Front entrance to W gable end, through porch with gabled roof. The porch is open to the front under a stone lintel, and has a narrow lancet with triangular head in heavy limestone dressing to the W. Two late C20 2-light casement windows under shallow segmental heads to L of porch in W gable end, one to each storey and offset. To the rear, the E side of the rear wing has a shallow lean-to brick porch with corrugated roof. Door to L and small window to R. To the L of the porch is a 3-over-3-pane horned sash window in a red brick surround with shallow segmental head. Matching window to 1st floor.

Interior

Porch leads to entrance in W gable end. Chamfered stone doorway with flat head. The principal room has spiral timber stairs in the W gable whilst the fireplace in the opposite E wall has been renewed. Flagstone floor. Stone threshold in doorway to kitchen in rear wing, suggesting that this was the original rear door and the wing was added later.

Reason for designation

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