(Grade III listed in 1973, and now Grade II listed ~ 1 and 2 as a pair, with 3 and 4 as a separate pair)
(Grade III listed in 1973, and now Grade II listed ~ 1 and 2 as a pair, with 3 and 4 as a separate pair)
The Appreciation describes a "stone cobbled pavement" leading up from West Street, but unfortunately most of that disappeared under a mixture of tarmac and gravel in the 1990s. Rather oddly, the Appreciation thought "how nice it would be to open up the area of grass behind the railings in front of these cottages", but if it had been opened up, and the suggested new house had been built behind the village green, the safe area where today's small children kick footballs around would have gone.
The lane is called "Red Lane" after the iron ore in the soil at the head of the lane, and the DIGS (Dorset Important Geological Sites) Group have marked it out as geologically significant. The iron was one of the reasons for bringing a railway to the village, but there was never enough of the stuff to make the line commercially viable. Local knowledge has it, though, that mortar for repointing walls should be mixed with a little soil from Red Lane to produce just the right colour to blend with the local stone.
The 1889 OS map shows a "Methodist Chapel (Primitive)" behind the school and approached by a lane to the right of these cottages. It's still there, and can be seen in the aerial view of the Old School House, having spent its latter days as an extension to the school, but fell victim to a fire while used as a store after the school had moved to Portesham.