Nicells

Cadw's description

Location

At the northern end of Swanbridge Road at the junction with Cog Road and Sully Road, on the western side overlooking the complex of Cog Farm.

History

Built in the C17 as a two-unit house of hall and outer room, the hall with a large internal fireplace and gable stone stairs. The farm buildings at Home Farm across the road to the east were constructed from the early C18 onwards as buildings serving Nicells. During the C19 Nicells was divided internally to become 3 separate dwellings, probably as ancillary workers accommodation following the construction of the model farm complex of Cog Farm just to the north (separately listed). The main doorway was relocated to the north side with the original doorway on the south side becoming blocked, as were some of the windows, others were altered, and a full height masonry wall was constructed in the original hall, interrupting the original south doorway. The surviving floor and roof structure also date to this period of re-organisation. At the time of inspection, on 26 April 2012, Nicells had been in the ownership of the same family since the end of the C19 and was undergoing repair and refurbishment.

Exterior

House, 2 storey 3 bay. Colourwashed rubblestone, timber casement windows with narrow projecting cills and timber lintels, slate roof with close eaves, brick chimney stacks to right gable and ridge, large stone stack to left gable.

South elevation (formerly the main elevation) with door offset to right (formerly blocked) with relieving arch over, tripartite 3-light casements to the ground floor and modern casements above. Inline windows to left, staggered windows to either side of door with upper windows offset to outside. Blocked window immediately above the door and further blocked window retaining original timber mullion frame to left. North elevation with central C20 single storey gabled porch, 3 4-light casement windows to first floor, modern casements to left and right and 4-light sash to right of porch.

To right and attached is a single storey rubblestone wing with C20 screen wall to front, behind and with internal access from house are two outbuildngs. Attached to left single storey lean-to garage.

Interior

Formerly 2-bay hall and outer room with direct access on south side to hall. Hall on east side now divided by later full height masonry wall but retains large internal gable chimney with integral bread oven and later inserted oven. The fireplace was originally wider but has been narrowed with the original jamb stones to the left hand side visible and the lintel with plain chamfer shortened. The jambs to the fireplace, along with the other dressings internally are of Blue Lias with red rubblestone being used for the main wall construction. To the left of the hall fireplace is a cupboard formed from the base of a stone gable stair, the lower steps have been removed but the remainder up to first floor remain. Inserted masonry wall now divides former hall into two rooms with further central room. The outer room to the west is divided from the hall with a masonry partition wall and retains gable fireplace with large timber lintel, clay bake-oven to left and further blocked opening to right. Window to south wall has been centred to the room and the original lintel survives higher and against the west gable.

Later stairs to north rise to the first floor. Above the hall a cupboard has been formed from the head of the stone stairs and there is a deep recess to the right (south) side of the gable with a heavy timber door frame. Window to south wall has a plain chamfer stopped stone surround. Blocked timber mullion window with inserted window to side to central room and cupboard in the west gable. Attic with four pegged King Post with struts roof trusses with masonry wall of the hall / outer room partition rising to the ridge. Central truss above the hall clad and plastered.

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as a surviving pre-1700 house retaining a number of distinctive vernacular features and with good later detailing, important historically for the development and reuse of Nicells through the C19. Group Value with other listed items at Cog Farm and Home Farm.