No 1 Ivy Cottages

Cadw's description

Location

Facing the sea with a rear facade to Cob Lane. Entrance on the SW side of St Julian's Street between Ivy House and Southcliffe House.

History

One of a pair of late C18 or early C19 houses overlooking an extensive garden which may be delineated by the line of the medieval cliff-top walls, since replaced. Much restored in mid C20, photograph of c1907 shows that all the sash windows have been replaced since with smaller panes, and tower on rear wing is added.

Exterior

House, the right half of a long pair of houses with unpainted roughcast walls and C20 plain-tile roofs. Five chimneys overall, one small on extreme left, one larger, rendered, on ridge to left of first bay window of No 2, one truncated on ridge to right of 2nd bay window of No 2, one small on ridge to right of left bay-window on No 1, and one small one at right end. Two storeys, 7 bays overall. S front has near-symmetrical 3 bays to No 2, to left, with canted bay windows each side of centre door with arched window over. Bays have C20 10-20-10-pane glazing and tiled tops at eaves level, but ground floor of left bay is wider with slate roofs. Arched window has radiating bars to head, and doorway has open-pedimented surround with pilasters to panelled door with square head. Centre (4th) bay has a C20 20-pane sash each floor, the upper one with horns.
The three bays to right, No 1, are similar to three bays to left, but instead of a canted bay window to right, has 20-pane sash each floor (renewed since 1977), and door is half-glazed.
Two attached wings, that to No 2, near-detached with hipped roof, runs S along Cresswell Street, and is now numbered No 3. No 1 has short wing running back towards St Julian's Street, backing onto Tor Lane, with N end stack on ridge to Cob Cottage. E side has attached square tower, presumably for lavatory, with parapet and cambered-headed sash window. W side, to Tor Lane, has glazed door in angle and 4-pane sash window each floor to left. Rear of main range, along Tor Lane, has 18-pane stair light in angle to rear wing, possibly the only original window left.

Reason for designation

Included as part of an unusual 2-storey range of late C18 to early C19 houses, picturesquely set on the cliff-top.