Elm Cottage

Cadw's description

Location

On the N side of East Back near its W junction with Main Street.

History

Early C19 house, built as a pair with No 3, probably c. 1830. Part of the Orielton estate until the sale of 1857. They may be the two houses of lot 20 in the sale described as leased to Isaac Williamson 1831 and occupied in 1857 by Robert Lock, banker and solicitor and Miss Holcombe. Each had four bedrooms, two parlours, coal cellars and walled gardens. An old photograph shows the houses with plain stucco fronts.

Exterior

House, pebbledash with unpainted stucco plinth, sill band, and door and window surrounds. Slate roof with flat mutules to eaves (as on No 3 East Back and Melbourne House/ Hamilton House opposite). Small renewed red brick end stacks. Two storeys, three bays with twelve-pane hornless sash windows in shouldered later surrounds, with slate sills. Centre arched doorway in cement surround with vermiculated keystone. Two steps with slate treads. Traceried fanlight with radiating petal tracery, over six-panel door with reeded panels below and raised panels above with quadrant rebates to corners (as on No 3). Basement vents in plinth. Long rear wing with C20 brick ridge stack, imitation slates, first floor centre 12-pane sash with brick head. Lean-to in angle to main house.

Interior

Centre hall with 6-panel door each side, doors with sunk panels and centre reeded strip. W room has C20 fireplace, moulded cornice and plain sideboard recess. Panelled shutters. Rear N room has 6-panel door. Staircase behind E room with square balusters, scrolled tread ends and rail scrolled at foot.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interst as a smaller late Georgian smaller town house with good surviving detail.