Old Cottage/Storehouse in Churchyard of Church of St Mary

Cadw's description

Location

In the churchyard about 30m south of the Church of St Mary.

History

A tiny single storey stone house dating from the C18, or possibly the C17, but it retains no datable features. It was heightened in the C19. The cottage was outside the churchyard and two cottages are shown on the tithe map of 1839, but when the churchyard was extended the ground was raised as this cottage shows. At that time the building was heightened and appears to have been converted into a stable and hayloft, probably for the Rector, and it continues in use as a shed for the upkeep of the churchyard. It is evident from the earthworks in the nearby field that Portskewett's population shrank in the early modern period before expanding again in the C19. This may have been exaggerated by the focus of the local population moving away to Sudbrook in the1880s, but it probably happened some time before that.

Exterior

This is a small rectangular building constructed of roughly coursed rubble stone with the upper walls of red brick and a pantiled roof. The entrance elevation is partly concealed by ivy but it has a central plank door which is C19, in a C19 opening, marking the present floor level. To the right of this is a low window now blocked relating to the original floor level. Above this is a large square opening for the hayloft door in the C19 brickwork. The two gable ends display the gable of the original cottage, showing it to have been a low one-and-a-half storey late medieval type. The rear elevation is blind and again clearly shows the original walling and the C19 heightening. Plain roof without chimneys, demonstrating the conversion of the building to non-domestic use in the C19.

Interior

Features still in evidence are the fireplace and window of the cottage, also the additional thickness of the stone wall is clear to be seen. All this shows how the floor level was raised at the time of conversion. The roof is in two bays with a principal truss with a collar, staggered purlins, secondary rafters and ridge piece all complete to the mid C19.

Reason for designation

Included as a scarce, possibly C17 cottage of the most humble type converted into a stable in the mid C19 after being taken into the churchyard. It has both historic and visual group value with the immediately adjacent Church of St Mary.