House and Stables Minehead Somerset

This is NOT Kildare Lodge (qv) notwithstanding Listing Text for the latter.

All the walls were built of stone quarried a few yards from the site. On the outside they were rough-cast with local lime and gravel which gave them a beautiful cream colour. On the inside, they were finished with cheddar lime worked up to a rough stucco surface, and left in the clear white which resulted, without any applied decoration or colour. The roof and wall framing were allowed to decorate the living room, and on them were laid by local workmen straw thatch in accordance with local traditional methods. On the first floor is a gallery looking down into the living room. {The Craftsman May 1910 page 181-182]

This beautiful dwelling in charming surroundings was by no means easy to plan successfully. The finest view was towards the east, and it was the owner's desire that the principal rooms should face that way. The land falls very rapidly from south to north, and there is a fine view from the north. To give all the important rooms a southern exposure, while gaining for them a view to the east, and for the living-room, at any rate, that to the north and a charming peep up the valley to the west, was a difficult matter. Then to place all the stables in such a way as not to obstruct any sunshine on the house was another problem complicated by the necessity of making the approach to the house from the north side. The house was built as largely as possible of local material. The walls were rubble, of stone got from a quarry a few hundred yards away. The outside was rough-cast with local lime and gravel, which gives a beautiful cream colour. The insides of the walls were finished in Cheddar lime worked up to a rough stucco surface, and left without any decoration or colour or anything to in any way change the white effect resulting from the use of this lime. There was nothing special used in the way of woods for the internal joinery; it was all of red deal or pine. The window casements were of wrought iron with leaded panes. The roof was thatched, and the pavement of the courtyard and the steps were of Delabole slate. The accommodation is on the modern plan. A large living room with ingle, a study, dining-room, pantry, kitchen, scullery, with enclosed yard and offices, are on the ground floor. On the upper floor are four bedrooms, dressing-room and bathroom. The large living room goes right up to the roof, and is overlooked from a little gallery on the first floor. Cost on application to the architects. [J H Elder-Duncan: Country Cottages, 1912 page 185]

Reference    The Craftsman Volume XVIII Number 2, May 1910 pages 173-182. Barry Parker Modern Country Homes in England Number Two
Illustration    Corbett House Preliminary sketch for house and stables. Craftsman May 1910 p175 ;
Illustration    Corbett House. Two views showing its relation to the landscape, 176;
Illustration    Corbett House Two views page 177
Illustration    Corbett House Open court and covered way Craftsman May 1910 p178
Illustration    The stables showing loose boxes,Craftsman May 1910 p 178;
Illustration    Corbett House; Living Room Craftsman May 1910 pp179-180
Illustration    Corbett House,    Ground plan; First floor plan, Craftsman May 1910 p181.
Reference    J H Elder-Duncan: Country Cottages 3rd Impression, 1912 page 185  Illustrations: pp. 193, 194