International studio (52.1914)

The Cheap Cottage






COTTAGE AT SHERBORNE, DORSET

M. H. BAILLIE SCOTT, ARCHITECT

The cottage in South
Wales was designed for a
country somewhat wild and
rugged, while the slope of the
ground and shape of the site
led to certain irregularities of
plan. It is therefore useful
in showing the futility of the
standard cottage design and
the need to make the build-
ings in a special district
illustrate the character of

the outlay as will allow of the formation of a fund
to be set aside for repairs and some arrangement
of this kind would be specially advisable where
thatch is used. In order to get the best straw for
thatch it should be reaped by hand.
The cottage designed by Mr. A. P. Starkey for a
country site near Bedford shows a scheme where
the picturesque character of the exterior seems to
have naturally developed from the requirements.
In this plan, there being only two bedrooms on
the first floor, the parlour would be used as a third
bedroom if required.

their surroundings. The
walls are of the rough local stone and the roof of
the so-called rustic Welsh slates. These are thick
and rough in texture and are naturally stained with
tints of russet-brown. With this roof of brown
flecked with grey the scheme was to give the stone-
work several waterproof coats of pink colour-wash
mixed with Russian tallow and so while preserving
all the varied planes of the stonework to make the
walls impervious to the weather. Unfortunately the
owner did not carry out this scheme but projected
the gables, finishing them with wooden barge
boards, and cemented the walls to a level surface.


PLANS OE A COTTAGE AT SHELFORD, NEAR CAMBRIDGE
138