Honeycombe Cottage B&B
Cottage History
Having been constructed around 1500 our cottage is the oldest residential building in the Parish. It is Grade II listed and here is its entry in English Heritages National Monument Record...
Detached house. Originally a C16 3-bay open-hall house. Hall floored over and chimney inserted c1600, kitchen and outhouse added on east in C18. Walls of original section of stone and flint - part plastered. C18 additions of plastered cob.
Half-hipped thatched roof. Brick stacks each end of original section and in C18block. One storey and attics.
Brick porch with hipped thatched roof and panelled door. Ground floor has 2 horizontally sliding sash windows with glazing bars and small casement in blocked door opening. Attic has 3 dormers, 2 with glazing bars and one with remains of lead lights. Central dormer - above porch - has hipped roof. C18 block has 2 small casement windows.
Roof of jointed cruck construction - shows signs of smoke-blackening for its full length. West ground floor room has 2 chamfered ceiling beams. Centre room has intersecting deep chamfered ceiling beams. East room has large open fireplace with timber lintol and jamb. Smaller open fireplace in C18 kitchen.
RCHM Monument 34. Listed on 20th Nov 1959.
In Addition - Cob boundary wall with thatched capping. Probably C18. Listed on 28th March 1984. Grade II also.
Some of the walls are 3 feet thick which keeps the house lovely and warm in the winter and provides a surprising amount of coolness in the summer. The house itself used to belong to the Debenhams Estate and was sold off in the 1940's with some land attached.
Click on the Images below to see the Census Returns for 1861, 1881 & 1891. Look for the Bullen family, who were living in the Cottage at the time. Look at the original documents or read the transcribed ones beneath the images...
1861 Census
James Bullen Head 49 Carpenter & Builder 1812 Tolpuddle Margaret Bullen Wife 48 1813 Puddletown Richard Bullen Son 16 Scholar 1845 Bere Regis William Bullen Son 15 Scholar 1846 Bere Regis
1881 Census
James Bullen Head 67 Carpenter & Builder (employs 1 Man & 1 Boy) 1812 Tolpuddle Margaret Bullen Wife 66 1813 Puddletown Richard Bullen Son 35 Farmer 60 Acres 1845 Bere Regis
1891 Census
James Bullen Head 78 Master Builder 1812 Tolpuddle Margaret Bullen Wife 77 1813 Puddletown Richard Bullen Son 45 Builder 1845 Bere Regis
The total property now comprises around 4 acres made up of the main cottage, 2 barns, the main garden, an orchard & a field which runs down to the Bere River
© Honeycombe CottageWebsite 2010 - Site by Chola Design
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |