The history of the building that I am attempting to unravel in this article is that of the strangely named Red Bluff/Swiss Cottage. It stands at the bottom of The Street, almost opposite “The Abbotts House” and would seem to the onlooker as of recent construction. But as you will discover it stands on the site of a much earlier edifice, stretching back to the days when the village was owned by the monks of Forde Abbey. It has gone by the names of “Rose and Crown”, “New Inn”, “Rickards”, “Wander Inn” Red Bluff and Swiss Cottage”, which makes it very confusing when writing about it.
The original dwelling would have stood on one of the half acre Burgage plots along The Street dating from 1295. For in that year the Abbot of Forde was to create a Borough away from the original village which had stood near the shoreline and whose church was fast being eroded by the sea. The borough was not a great success with the competition from Lyme Regis and Bridport and most of the original plots were amalgamated to become viable. A modern map shows many of these, especially on the north side stretching back to the original Monks stone wall. Their control over the village came to an end in 1539 with the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII.
Sir Willian Petre became the new landlord and in 1564 carried out a thorough survey of the village. Studying the list of tenants, we find that Thomas Bull holds one Burgage and was paying a rent of 6d. We know that this was the gentleman who occupied the building at that time as by a miracle the deeds to this property from then until 1754 have survived and can be seen in the Somerset Record Office at Taunton, where they were deposited by a descendant of the family that owned it in the 18th century. I have long known about them as they refer to “The Rose and Crown”, but as they were incomplete could not work out where it stood. That was until Ron Dampier lent me the deeds to his house in Lower Sea Lane. Although it is a relatively recent, the site it stands on was part of a larger plot known as Pear Close. The Abstract of Title took it back further to when it was bought in 1843 by the Rector of Charmouth at that time, Rev. John Dixon Hales. He had purchased not only Pear Close and the Carpenters Shop on the corner, but also the buildings opposite including one that was referred to as formerly “The New Inn”, which had previously been called “The Rose and Crown”. I have had great fun joining the two sets of information together. The vital connection was a family called Hodder who proved to be the missing link as they owned it in 1663, are detailed as owners in 1713 and the later deeds record that it was built by Emmanuel Symes and occupied by John Hodder.
With the two sets of record to hand I was able in time to piece the entire history of this property which is unusual as the early documents rarely survive.
To return to the first set of deeds, we find that there are a whole series of transactions in 1561. The first document records that John Tye of Plumtree in Devon sold it to William Borcombe of Wootton Fitzpaine who was a Tailor, and that it had previously been rented by a William Cooke. In the same year there is another deed that showed William selling it to Thomas Bull of Norton St. Phillips in Somerset who was a Blacksmith. It describes that it stood between the tenements owned by John Wadham, Esq of Catherston and that of Honor Borcombe.
The next deed is for 1629 when it is described as a tenement on the north side of the Great Street, called “The Rose and Crown”. The name given to the Inn originated with the popular marriage in 1486 of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York which ended the feudal battling between the houses of York and Lancaster. These premises were sold by Nathaniel Bull of Studland, a descendant of Thomas, to Edward Lymbry, senior, a merchant of Charmouth. This gentleman was a member of the leading family in the village and their impressive Tomb still stands by the entrance to St. Andrews Church. He was to own the Inn only briefly as it was to be part of the marriage settlement in 1639 when his daughter, Joan married Richard, the son of Richard Talbot of Broadmayne in Dorset. This family was again of high standing and owned the Manor there. A further Deed showed that William, the son and heir of Edward Limbry, later gave a further £15 to the Talbots, which was the residue of the marriage portion.
By 1649 the Inn was owned by Joseph Hazzard and in that year, he sold it to Judith Miller, his sister for £50. She in turn conveyed it to Francis Hodder, junior of Wootton Fitzpaine in consideration of the intended marriage of her daughter to this gentleman. Confirmation of their ownership can be seen in the Hearth Tax of 1663 for Charmouth, when Judith Miller is shown as paying tax on her two hearths.
There is now a gap in the records although the other deeds do refer to it being occupied by John Hodder, no doubt a descendant of Francis and Judith Hodder. There is also confirmation with the earliest Alehouse List for Dorset in 1718 which shows that Joseph Goring was the licensee for “The Fountain Inn”, William Kidnor for “The George” and Elizabeth Hodder for “The Rose and Crown”.
Again, there is a break in our knowledge of who owned the Inn. We can assume that it was bought from the Hodders by Samuel Burrow by 1743. The same set of deeds include a large document relating to a mortgage taken out with Walter Oke using it as security with a number of other properties and fields in Charmouth. Unfortunately, it was just described as that “Messuage, Tenement or Inn called or known by the name of The Rose and Crown and the curtilage, backside, garden and orchard to the same”. He also owned The George Inn, its near neighbour which had almost the same description. It may well have ceased trading as an Inn by then, especially with the closeness to The George, which is still going strong today.
The Poor Rates for 1754 reveal that Samuel Burrow was paying 3 1/2d for Parsons Estate (The Elms), 4d. for Walterses (Walter Okes), Hodders (Rose and a Crown) and the George. He was also paying 2 1/4d for his own house, Burgage and Langmoor. To purchase all these properties he borrowed £320 from Water Oke, a wealthy Attorney, living at Axmouth.  Unfortunately, he overstretched his finances and is shown as selling his estate to Walter Oke for just £400 in 1760.
It would appear a bargain was had by Walter, but he would not enjoy them for long as he died just 3 years later, aged 61, with his wife, Frances inheriting his properties in Charmouth until her on death long after in 1806. Today this estate would include The George, Rose and Crown (Swiss Cottage and Bluff Cottage), The Elms, Langmoor, Hillside and Fernhill - all for just £400 when purchased by her husband. Frances chose to live at Axmouth and sold some of the properties off in due course and kept the fields. Her daughter, Frances married Thomas Shute in 1775 and lived at The Elms in Charmouth for many years. There is a fine marble memorial to them in St. Andrews today.
According to Reginald Pavey, the famous historian “The New Inn” as it was known by then was bought by Benedicta Durston in 1771. This would make sense as she had just moved back to Charmouth on the death of her husband The Rev. Joseph Durston (1733-1770). She was extremely wealthy as she inherited the Manors of Charmouth, Catherston and Newlands on the death of her father, Richard Henvill, nephew of Anthony Ellesdon in 1744. She lived in the village until she died in 1784, aged 57.  Thomas Rickard was employed as her Steward to run the estate. He had come to Charmouth in 1753 from his family home in Tredegar, near Boscombe in Cornwall to marry Sarah Bragge. Her father was William, the son of Edward Bragge, the Rector of Charmouth. They were to have at least six children including William (1756), Elizabeth (1757) Mary (1758) Alice (1764) and Thomas. He was employed as an Officer of Excise, a role he was proud of as it was always recorded against his name. The earliest of these is in 1754 when he subscribes to a book on Arithmetic by Joseph Thorpe, Rector of Tredegar, his family home. Amongst The other subscribers are his brother in law, Nicholas Bragge, Surgeon of Axminister and Digory Gordge, Village Clerk. The Quarter Sessions book in 1770 clearly describes his role for Benedicta as follows:
“Benedicta Durston, Lady of the Manor of Charmouth in the County of Dorset did and by her deputation in the year 1770 nominate constitute and appoint Thomas Rickard (her Bailiff and Agent) to be her gamekeeper of within the said Manors of Charmouth, Catherston and Newlands with full power and License and authority to kill game in the said Manors for her sole use”.
The earliest Land Tax records are 1780 and from these we can follow year by year the progress of both him and his descendants. The days of it being “The New Inn” were over and it was now referred to as “Rickards” in later records. They were to live in the house which we are dealing with from 1771 until 1841. They initially paid 1/5d poor rates tax on it, whereas Thomas had to pay £8 a year for his position of Excise Officer, it was no doubt very lucrative, as it was equivalent to that paid by Benedicta for her large Estate. He rented lands known as “Hurlescroft”, “Thorns”, and “Minson Common” from her, which had previously been leased by his wife`s family (the Bragges).
A 1783 map reference book records the following:
78. Leasehold for Lives, Mr. Bragg`s, Mr. Rickard garden plot (10s0d) 20 perches
79. Leasehold for Lives, Mr. Bragg`s, Hurles Croft, east of the Mill (£3-1-4d) 1 acre 3 Roods, 27perches.
80. Leasehold for Lives, Mr. Bragg`s, Thorns House & 2 plots (£2-18-4d) 1 acre 3 Roods, 12 perches.
195. Thomas Rickard Dwelling House (Rose and Crown).
Thomas was to live for 33 years in the village and on his death in 1786 left a Will in which he gave to his wife, Sarah ”all those several Estates, Messuages, Lands and Tenements which were given by her late fathers Will bearing the date February 1748 together with my new built stable and garden adjoining and the interest I have in our house and garden and four fields of land which I now hold by several leases under the hand and seal of Mrs. Durston, then Lady of The Manor of Charmouth. To be at her own free will and disposal. I also give to Thomas Rickard, my son and heir all my messuages, lands and tenements within parishes of Trevalga and Fooabury in Cornwall. And now in possession of my said son. To my daughter, Ann Avery -£10, daughter, Elizabeth-£10, son William -£1, daughter Mary - £10, daughter Alice - £10 dated 1785 witnessed by Brian Combe, John Bragge and Lucius Bragge.
Sarah went on living in their house until her own death in 1797. Her Will bequeaths to her son, William Rickard the sum of £130, her daughter, Sarah, wife of John Rickard the sum of £70, to be paid within 5 years of her decease. During the life of Mr. Nicholas Bragge, Surgeon of Axminster they were to be paid £6 from my leasehold estate called Gerrard's in Whitchurch. All her property and effects were to go to her daughters Elizabeth and Mary Rickard. These daughters were to spend the rest of their lives at the house and receive an income from their inheritance. It would appear by 1796 that they were no longer leasing Hurlescroft, Thorns and Minsons but owned their freeholds. They may have been bought after the death of James Warden in 1792, their previous owner. The Land Tax lists show that their relation John Bragge was renting Minsons and William Burnard, Sail Cloth Manufacturer, was renting the other fields, probably for Flax, his staple.
There was an interesting development in 1811 when “The Stonehouse” was being rented by them to a Mrs Ridout. This may have been built by them at this time, as it was not listed before then in the Land Tax returns. In 1831 they sold it to Mrs Liddon, the daughter of James Warden, who no doubt lived in this fine house, opposite The Royal Oak,still called by the same name today. Elizabeth Rickard died in 1827, aged 67 and Mary continued residing at the address until her own death in 1841, aged 85 after a lifetime in the village. Her death marked the end of her family’s long occupation of what had once been “The New Inn”. She never married, and her estate was sold off soon after her death. It was her tenant, William Burnard who bought the properties from the trustees. He lived in Bow House, next to the George Inn and had no need for her house and sold it to Rev. John Dixon Hales in 1843. He also sold him Minsons Common and the workshop on the corner of Lower Sea Lane, which was then let to John Carter, a Carpenter.
The Reverend John Dixon Hales was Rector from 1833 until 1839, when he resigned the Living. It was during this time that the church was rebuilt. The Church has one memorial to the Rev. Hales in the shape of a marble plaque which records the deaths of two of his Grandchildren in the first world war. It also records that he went on to be Canon of Rochester Cathedral.
Whilst he was here he bought Pear Close in 1837 which had previously been owned by Rev. Brian Combe and was sold by his nieces. This field was at the centre of the village on the corner of The Street and Lower Sea Lane. It has since been developed into a parade of shops and housing. Another purchase was a field in Lower Sea Lane known as The Potato Plot on which was built a house by the Hunters. The properties were all to stay in the family and on John`s death in 1879, his two sons John and Arthur were left them. Arthur Hales died in 1904 and left his share to his wife Maria Frances Hales. They were subsequently bought by Harry Pryer, the stonemason in 1931 after renting them for many years.  
The 1843 purchase by Hales refers to the thatched building which was formerly The New Inn being divided into two parts which were occupied by Frederick Coles and Martha Gordge. I have traced the tenants back to 1841 when William Gordge, aged 64 rented one part until 1939 when a descendant, Martha vacated it. Records refer to their part as “The Cottage”. The other part was called “Swiss Cottage” from at least 1891 when it was rented by Harry Pryer`s son.
The Gordges were a large family who lived in Charmouth for many centuries. A common name given to the eldest son was Digory and they held the position of Church Clerk for many years and lived on the corner of Barrs Lane, where the Post Office is today. The 1851 Census reveals that Thomas Gordge, A painter and Glazier. then aged 37 was living in the “Cottage” with his wife, Louisa and children, Elizabeth, Martha and Harry. The family continue to reside there, but by 1881, Louisa is a widow running a Lodging House with her daughter, Martha, aged 30 who was a Milliner. The 1901 Census has the widow, Mary Gordge, aged 72, described as a Laundress living there with her daughter Martha aged 38 with son in law George Grinter and his family.  A decade later It is Martha, now aged 48 with her nephew Ernest Grinter, aged 14 in The Cottage. She finally moved from there to the Alms House in Sea Lane in 1939. It is astonishing that one family could live in the same cottage for almost a century. Between 1928 and 1939 a small extension known as May Cottage was rented to Bessie Gale, whose daughter later described it as follows:
“We only had oil lamps and candles then. No electricity or gas. There was just the sitting room, next was the dining room-cum-kitchen with a range in it, then along the passage to a big backhouse as we called it. Mum did her cooking on a two-burner oil stove and used to put a tin bath of water on it for her laundry of a Monday, and her irons she used to put on top of the range. It used to take a day doing these things. We did the same for our bath water and would carry it to the front of the range. One thing it did have a sink and one tap in there and a flush toilet out in the garden”.
The Census for the village carried out every ten years reveal that the other part known as Swiss Cottage had a number of different tenants including Harry Pidgeon who was there until 1934 and the Baldwins between the years 1935 and 1951.
The Hales family ownership of the property and others in the village came to an end after nearly a century with the auction by William Morley & Sons at the Coach and Horses on August 9th, 1921
Amongst the many lots was no. 6 which was described as follows: - Two Pleasantly Situated Freehold Cottages, with Large Productive Garden, adjoining Lot 5, in the occupation of Miss M. Gordon and Mr. H. Pigeon. There are two separate Side Entrances to the above from the drainway. There was an error with Miss M. Gordon as Miss Martha Gordge was definitely living there in that year.
Most of the lots were bought by Harry Pryer, including the Cottage/Swiss Cottage. After his death in 1931 It was bought by Billy Gear who owned the Garage opposite. During the 1939-45 war it was a Waste paper depot and used occasionally by the Home Guard. It was in very bad condition. After the war it was restored when remains of broken bottles and glass were found, no doubt relating to the days when it was an Inn. James and Dorothy Potter were the next owners who transformed it into a Cafe, calling it "The Wander Inn", which was so successful that they added Swiss Cottage. Their adverts in the Official Guides informed the reader that they were noted for their Cornish Pasties and pies and could offer Morning Coffee, Lunches, Cream Teas and Steak Suppers.
The last resident in the property was David Hoffler and his father. Local historian, Peter Press wrote a fascinating article on the final days of the former Inn in the Echo issue - Winter 2003. His description of the interior carpentry and thatched roof with thick Cobb rear wall confirm its great age. He writes: “Just after 9am on January 21st 2003, on my way to the Post Office that morning, I was within yards of the building when a great crash and a column of dust with bits of rotten thatch rose into the air as the entire north face of the roof fell into the rear of the building. By the time the debris had been cleared, the wall was leaning towards the street. It was in danger of imminent collapse – it had to come down. It’s all gone now”.
It was to be replaced with the building we see today, which is similar to its predecessor and goes by the names of Red Bluff (west) and Swiss Cottage (east).
Charmouth lost in 2003 one of its most ancient buildings whose history confirms that it was originally an Inn known as The Rose and Crown. It was one of a number of hostelries in the village frequented by travellers on the highway linking Dorchester to Exeter. After its time as an Inn it was to become a residence for the Rickards from 1771 until 1841 and then part of it as home for the Gordges until 1939 – quite astonishing! Later it was  The Wander Inn cafe which was very popular in the 1970s. It then went into a period of decline, judging from old photos until its sad demise.
I would like to thank Ron and Jean Dampier and Peter Press for their assistance with this article.
Neil Mattingly

1841 Census William Gordge , aged 64
The 1847 Land Tax show Thomas Gordge as renting from John Hales.
1851 Census has Thomas Gordge, aged 37, a Painter and Glazier living with his wife Louisa, aged 34 and daughters, Elizabeth aged 11, Martha aged 10 and Harry aged 1
William Case, aged 59 labourer and family
1861 Thomas Gordge and William Case are still there
1871 Thomas Gordge and Maria Darke , aged 78 Pauper next door
1881 Louisa Gordge, aged 65, Widow Lodging House Keeper with her daughter, Martha aged 40 a Milliner with two lodgers.
1891 Harry William Pryer, aged 47 , a Builder and Monumental Mason, living in Swiss Cottage with his wife Leah, aged 46 and son, Harry W, aged 1891 Swiss Cottage Harry Pryer1901 Mary Gordge, Widow aged 72 Laundress and daughter Martha aged 38 with son in law George Grinter and his family.
Edward Kent a rural postman and his family
1911 Daniel Witte aged 66 and his wife Jessie private means Swiss Cottage
Martha Gordge aged 48 and nephew ernest Grinter, aged 14 in The Cottage.