Building record 821/0/31 - Walnut and Hazelnut Cottage, Ashton

Walnut Cottage and Hazelnut Cottage form a pair of semi-detached, single storey cottages dating from the mid 20th century. Although they were not built as part of the original estate development of 1900 they were still built to the designes of William Huckvale. They are modest dwellings indended as accomodation for workers employed on the estate. The cottages are constructed in rock-faced limestone that is snecked. The building has a pitched roof which is thatched. The plan-form is rectangular with chimney stacks at each gable end and a single central ridge stack. A small attached outhouse in the centre of the rear elevation separates the two dwellings. A small lean-to storage building has been added to the east elevation and a late 20th century brick lean-to has been added to Walnut Cottage. Internally each cottage comprises a front sitting room, a pair of bedrooms and kitchen and bathroom at the rear.

{1} The Ashton Estate, stretching from the River Nene near Oundle in the west to Ashton Wold in the east, has been occupied since Roman times. In the 18th century it was a well-known sporting estate, with avenues of chestnut trees planted in a cross as rides, and a number of fox coverts. In the early 19th century the estate was owned by William Walcot and was largely farmed by tenants, with Ashton Wold continuing as a sporting ground. However, there is no evidence that it had ever contained a manor house, and when in 1860 it was purchased by Lionel Rothschild the sale particulars describe it as 'a very valuable and important landed estate', with sporting advantages, but no house adapted for the occupation of a gentleman. Both Lionel Rothschild and his son Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915), showed little interest in estate, and the only structural work undertaken in the 19th century was the building of a hunting lodge at Ashton Wold. However, when Lord Rothschild's second son, Nathaniel Charles (1877-1923) - known as Charles - discovered Ashton by accident, he was so impressed by the rich fauna and flora of Ashton Wold that he persuaded his father to build him a house on the site of the hunting lodge. Lord Rothschild commissioned William Huckvale to design not only a house, but a model farm, an entire complement of estate buildings which included the Steward's house, stables, gardeners' accommodation, a building to house a fire engine, a petrol store, kennels (now derelict) and a dog hospital. Most of the cottages at nearby Ashton were rebuilt to create a model village.

High quality design and workmanship were consistent themes throughout the estate, where traditional vernacular building traditions - Collyweston stone slate and thatch roof coverings, steeply pitched roofs, tall chimneys, limestone masonry walling and dressings and mullioned windows were all faithfully referenced. Simple working buildings - cart hovels, wash houses and potting sheds - were consciously afforded the same care as were the dwellings, farmsteads and garden structures.

Walnut and Hazelnut Cottages were not built as part of the original estate development of 1900 and are not present on the 1926 OS map. They are modest dwellings intended as accommodation for workers who were employed on the estate. The cottages are essentially intact although some modern accretions have been added in the later 20th century.

Little is known about William Huckvale (1847-1936) who worked mainly for the Rothschilds and therefore had no need to publicise his work in the architectural journals, and was not a member of the RIBA. After setting up his own practice in London he came into contact with Alexander Parks, agent to Lord Rothschild. He designed a number of buildings for the Rothschilds on the Tring Park estate, undertook considerable work at the Rothschild bank in New Court in the City of London, and was the architect for the Royal Mint Refinery. He also carried out work on the Rothschild estate at Aston Clinton. The quality of his work is reflected in the 42 listed buildings he already has to his name, 13 in Tring and 29 on the Ashton Estate.

This pair of semi-detached, single-storey cottages dates from the mid 20th century and were built to the designs of William Huckvale. They are constructed in rock-faced limestone that is snecked. The building has a pitched roof which is covered with thatch.

The plan-form is rectangular and the building is laid out on an east-west alignment. The chimney stacks at each gable end, and a single central ridge stack, are all in dressed limestone and rise above the steeply pitched, thatched roof, which sweeps down to create a low eaves line. There is a dressed stone capping detail to the verges and rough quoin work at each corner of the building. The principal elevation (south) has a central recess which is divided into two, by a return wall, creating a covered terrace for each cottage. Within each recess is a front door with a stone surround to each cottage, and a three-light stone mullioned window with leaded lights. There are also similar mullioned windows to each cottage at either end. Both east and west gable ends are blind, although a small lean-to storage building has been added to the east elevation.

The rear elevation has a four-light stone mullioned window at each end, a simple timber boarded door with stone surround, and a three-light stone mullioned window. A small attached outhouse in the centre of the elevation separates the two dwellings. A late 20th century brick lean-to has been added to Walnut Cottage.

The internal arrangement of each cottage comprises a front sitting room, a pair of bedrooms, front and rear, and kitchen and bathroom at the rear. There are fireplaces in the sitting rooms and bedrooms.

Walnut Cottage and Hazelnut Cottage, erected in the mid- 20th century are not recommended for designation for the following principal reasons. The cottages do not share the quality of design and craftsmanship as the other listed cottages that form part of the Ashton Estate and have insufficient group value with other estate buildings to compensate for their modest design.

<1> ENGISH HERITAGE, English Heritage Listing File, Heritage Protection Adviser 26th October 2009 (Report). SNN111579.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2025 6:57PM