Descriptive Buildings Record (level 2) at 519 Pamphill

An extensive photographic record was made (Historic England level 2) during stripping of the old thatch, using a Sony a6000 DSLR (all saved in dual Jpeg/Raw formats); photographs were also taken with an iPhone 14 Pro. After this, a 3D photogrammetric record was made and drawn up (to Historic England Level 3). Graham Keevill of Keevill Heritage Ltd carried out a programme of archaeological building recording at 519 Pamphill, Little Pamphill, Dorset, during 2023-24. Ross Cook (Archaeodomus AHS) assisted by carrying out photogrammetric recording of the roof structure as part of this work. The National Trust property is Grade II listed (as West Winds), and the work was required by a condition on the Listed Building Consent issued by Dorset Council (ref P/LBC/2023/03726) for re-thatching and associated work that needed to be carried out as a matter of urgency. The monitoring recorded the removal of the old thatch, and fully documented the vernacular character of the timber roof structure beneath it. The work confirmed that the historic core of the cottage is a two-phase structure (extensions to the rear/south and side/west are modern), with the east half up to the (now central) chimney stack being primary: this is of 18th-century date, as per the listing. The west half was added, and the stack rebuilt, most likely in the early 19th century. Its timber roof frame was similar to the original eastern one in form and materials, but was cruder and had suffered much more extensive rot and partial loss of timbers - indeed it was clear that parts of this roof had failed in the (fairly recent) past and had required emergency patch repairs (this was especially the case at the half-hip on the gable end). No artefacts were found in the thatch, roof spaces or any other location during the project.