Description History Rose Ghyll Cottage and an accompanying small range of outbuildings together partially enclose the yard of what appears to have been a small C18- or early-C19 farmstead on the southern edge of Retford, occupying one of a series of long plots of land extending eastwards from Rectory Road to the River Idle. These may have been burgage plots, and the building group may have developed from, or replaced earlier buildings in this location. However, the existing house appears to date to no earlier than the late C18. Details Rose Ghyll Cottage is a long, single room depth dwelling built of late-C18 or early-C19, red brick, with a pantile roof covering. The building forms one side of a small courtyard, flanked on the north side by an L-shaped range of outbuildings. EXTERIOR: the building is of two storeys, with a C20 bay added at its eastern end. There are three doorways, two of which are now partially blocked to form window openings. The main doorway is located just off-centre and has a C20 door. There are three ground-floor windows with segmental -arched heads and four upper floor openings set below a dentilled eaves. All of the window joinery is of C20 date. The rear elevation has modern windows at upper floor level, and one small segmental arch-headed window at mid- height in what appears to be an added bay which incorporates part of an earlier wall, including the window opening. INTERIOR: the interior has been comprehensively altered, with largely C20 spatial subdivisions and C20 stud partitions. The entrance bay has substantial spanning joists. At the east end, a large hearth with a re-used bressumer is located in what appears to be an original end wall. There is now a C20 inserted hearth below the bressumer. Ground floor rooms have bridging beams and slender joists, whilst the upper floor rooms are linked by a corridor running against the north front wall. There are two inserted stairs, one at the east end of the range within the added bay, the other in the western section of the house, There is a plaster hood to the ground floor hearth at the east end, but the upper section of the west end hearth has been removed. The roof structure is formed of what appear to be sawn softwood timbers and incorporates principal rafters with collars and a single tier of clasped purlins. FIXTURES AND FITTINGS: there are no surviving historic fixtures or fittings. Delisted 22/05/15 Context The owners, who are also the applicants, wish to refurbish and remodel the house and consider it to now be too altered to merit its listed status. In addition, they believe that the outbuilding range is now also too altered to merit listing. Assessment CONSULTATION. The owners, who are also the applicants, the local authority, the Historic Environment Record (HER) and the Ancient Monuments Society were invited to comment on the factual details of the case as part of the consultation process. No responses relevant to the designation assessment were received. DISCUSSION Rose Ghyll Cottage is a long, single-room depth dwelling built of late-C18 or early-C19, red brick, with a pantile roof covering. The building is of two storeys, with a C20 bay added at its eastern end. It forms one side of a small courtyard, flanked on the north side by an L-shaped range of outbuildings. The building was listed in 1976 and in the years since extensive alterations affecting both the interior and exterior of the building have been carried out, including the removal of original hearths, fittings and fixtures, and the replacement of original external joinery. The original plan form of the dwelling has also been significantly changed. The Historic England Listing Selection Guide for Vernacular Houses (April 2011) acknowledges that 'often the outcome of an assessment of special interest will hinge upon the extent and impact of alteration and the proportion of historic fabric that survives'. In the years since the building was first assessed for listing, it has been incrementally altered both externally and internally with listed building consent. In this instance, these works have significantly compromised the special interest of Rose Ghyll Cottage to such an extent that it no longer merits designation. CONCLUSION After examining the available records and other relevant information, and having carefully considered the architectural and historic interest of this case, the criteria for listing are no longer fulfilled and Rose Ghyll Cottage is recommended for de-listing. REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION Rose Ghyll Cottage in Retford, a building with late-C18 or early-C19 origins, is recommended for de-listing for the following principal reason: * Architectural interest: the vernacular architectural interest of the building has been significantly reduced as a result of incremental changes, undertaken with listed building consent, to the buildings exterior, interior and plan form; * Alteration: the levels of alteration and loss of historic fabric. Countersigning comments: Agreed, this building has been altered with listed building consent and does not now have the special interest formerly ascribed to it, and therefore it should be removed from the List. Tony Calladine 22 April 2015