Building record 14976 - Manor Cottage, Snelson Lane

<1> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Edwards R, 25/03/2019 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

The c.1848 Tithe Map for Snelson depicts Manor Cottage (see 2). This plot is named Cottage and Garden and is owned by John Dixon and occupied by Ann Robinson. This map and later Ordnance Survey 25 inch to 1 mile maps for Cheshire (see 3-5), dating from between 1872 and 1909, only depict the timber framed building and not the brick two storey extension to the east.

The Design Access and Planning Statement produced by Jay Ashall Partnership (see 6) dates the timber framed building to the eighteenth century, however, comparison of the timber framing with other buildings in the locality suggests that the building may have seventeenth century origins. The brick two storey extension is of no historical interest.

<2> See map for surveyor, c.1837-51, Cheshire Tithe Maps and Awards, EDT 360/2, c.1848 (Maps and Plans). SCH3266.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ8073, 1872-1876 (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1896-1898, Ordnance Survey First Revision County Series (Epoch 2) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ8073, 1897-1898 (Maps and Plans). SCH3848.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1909-1912, Ordnance Survey Second Revision County Series (Epoch 3) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ8073, 1909 (Maps and Plans). SCH4361.

<6> Jay Ashall Partnership Chartered Architects, 2019, Design, Access and Planning Statement to Accompany the Planning Application for the Construction of a Replacement Dwelling at Manor Cottage, Snelson Lane, Snelson, p.4 (Report). SCH8730.

'...The existing Manor Cottage is typical of the vernacular; a traditional detached, two storey timber framed cottage style dwelling dating back to the 18th century. Unsympathetic later additions were constructed to the property in 1956 and 2003 and a conservatory added to the western end of the dwelling…'

<7> Historic England, 2015-, Notification Report of Decision not to Designate, Organ C, 01/07/2019 (Written Communication). SCH7825.

‘…It is not clear whether the house is shown on Burdett’s map of 1770 [see 8], but the fabric evidence suggests a late seventeenth date. The house is shown on the tithe map of approximately 1848 (plot 135a), owned by John Dixon and occupied by Ann Robinson, and with the same footprint as the house described below.

The relationship between the timbers of the principal frame and the ceiling suggests that the latter is inserted, possibly re-using original fabric; the house was probably originally ceiled at eaves level where the attic floor now is. Bay 4 of the east wall was probably originally a doorway, and it is not clear how this relates to the lobby-entry plan on the north wall.

The western gable end may have been rebuilt, removing the timber frame, in the twentieth century but this is hard to ascertain with confidence…’

‘…EXTERIOR: standing to the south of Snelson Lane, with extensive farmland to the south. The house has substantial two-storey extensions to the east and a conservatory to the west.

The north frontage is of seven bays of box framing on a rendered plinth with timber wall plate. Angle braces are found against posts (from the left) 1, 5 (both sides) and 8. Post 6 has a large segmental cut-out on its upper left edge. Bays 1, 3 and 8 have mid-rails. Bays 2 and 7 have two middle rails, with a window between them in bay 2. Bays 4 and 5 have a higher middle rail, each with a window but no rail below, thought to be former doorways . Bays 2 and 7 have the exposed ends of interior beams, just above the upper middle rail. The wall plate is in two parts, divided at post 5. The western piece is scarfed in bay 7 and has an uneven projecting end.

A chimney stack rises at the ridge, aligned with post 5 and is corbelled, and made of bricks which appear to be hand-made. The uneven roof has clay ridge tiles and graduated blue slate. The cast-iron
gutter is carried on metal stays.

The east wall is obscured by the adjacent extension. The south wall has (from the right) four bays of timber framing with rendered plinth and timber wall plate, with a further wide rendered bay containing a small square bay window under a canopy which extends to the left.

Post 5 is of lighter appearance than the others and has an angle brace. B ay 4 has a mid-rail which appears to be applied. Bays 1-3 have a higher middle rail which forms the lint el to two windows. This rail cuts post 2, as does the right -hand window. The left-hand window fills bay 3 and intrudes into post 3. Above these three bays is a large ridge-dormer of five lights’ width, with a flat roof. To the left of the chimney are two vertically -aligned modern roof-lights. The cast-iron gutter is carried on metal stays.

The rendered west ern wall is largely obscured by the conservatory, which is also plastered internally on this wall. However, the west face of the corner post is visible and has no mortices, indicating that the building did not formerly extend any further west .

INTERIOR: entry is from the east extension, via a modern door in the north-east corner of the house. The east wall has four bays with a bottom rail on a plastered plinth (the rail is divided at post 4). Bays 2 and 3 have a high middle rail, bay 4 has a modern mid-rail and a higher rail which is thought to be a door lintel. A modern beam runs the width of the wall supporting the ceiling joists, and is carried on a modern corbel attached to post 3.

A thicker beam spans this eastern room centrally from north to south; its north end is visible externally and its south end is supported by a modern post which stands against the south wall. This beam is chamfered with run-out stops, that at the north end [are] partly-obscured by the wall. The sawn ceiling joists are trenched into it. A roughly -chamfered bressumer spans the inglenook in the west side of the room, supported by a wall post in line with post 4 externally, and a heck post which stands on a timber rail and plastered plinth running east-west. These meet a corner post which is partly obscured by plaster. The heck (the screen at the side of an inglenook fireplace) has a mid-rail, and an upper rail s pans the rear of the inglenook, which is otherwise plastered and has a screed floor. The bressumer now carries the ceiling joists, which run into the inglenook. To the right of the inglenook, a modern plank door opens through a plastered lobby wall.

Within the lobby the heck post, bottom rail, mid rail and inglenook corner post are visible on the left. On the right is a window, and two posts for a short lobby screen, now with no infill; one has an empty mortice on its east face. The lobby ceiling has hewn joists.

Beyond the lobby the western room has plastered walls with only ceiling timbers visible; a hewn beam with trenched hewn and sawn joists. The former fireplace has an inserted boiler in a cupboard. A modern door leads through the west wall into the conservatory. A dogleg stair in the north-west corner has an exposed soffit and is hung from a joist and made of machine-sawn timber.

In the attic the western purlins are hewn but the eastern purlins are machine sawn. In the east wall a doorway has been inserted giving access to the extension. Four posts are visible, with braces t o a truss collar, but the principal rafters are enclosed…’

<8> Burdett, P. P., 1777, A Survey of the County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH113.