Barton Cottage is located in Barton Valley, Devonshire, in the same parish as Barton Park. Sir John, master of Barton Park, owns the building, but lets it out to this cousin Mrs. Dashwood.
Architecture and Decor
From the narrator, we learn that Barton Cottage is small, “comfortable and compact,” but did not conform to picturesque images of cute cottages. We also know that “it had not been built many years and was in good repair.”
Through the Dashwoods’ eyes, we learn quite a bit about the interior layout of the house. The narrator tells us that “A narrow passage led directly through the house into the garden behind. On each side of the entrance was a sitting room, about sixteen feet square; and beyond them were the offices and the stairs. Four bed-rooms and two garrets formed the rest of the house,”suggesting a fairly common layout for modest country homes of the era. While the Dashwoods set up the house, we are told “Marianne's pianoforte was unpacked and properly disposed of; and Elinor's drawings were affixed to the walls of their sitting room.” We also know that they keep at least one bedchamber “spare” at the cottage for visitors, suggesting that there is doubling-up in the bedrooms.
Though the building appears quite comfortable for the family, it certainly does not have the grandeur of Norland Park. In may well be that the charm wears off over time as well; more fully moved-in, Elinor cynically responds when Willoughby waxes poetically about building a replica of the cottage whether he would do so "With dark narrow stairs and a kitchen that smokes.”
When she leaves Norland Park, Mrs. Dashwood sends ahead packages containing “linens, plates, china, and books, with a handsome pianoforte of Marianne’s.” Based on Fanny Dashwood’s regret at seeing these items go, we are led to believe they are quite fine. The narrator later tells us that because of the money saved by living with family, Mrs. Dashwood “had at this time ready money enough to supply all that was wanted of greater elegance to the apartments.” She also plans to expand the cottage in the future.
Park, Gardens and Land
In front of the house is “a small green court,” marked off by “a neat wicket gate.” Behind, we are told, there are “high hills...immediately behind, and at no great distance on each side; some of which were open downs, the others cultivated and woody.” The village of Barton is on one of these hills and visible from a cottage window. The narrator adds that “The prospect in front was more extensive; it commanded the whole of the valley, and reached into the country beyond. The hills which surrounded the cottage terminated the valley in that direction; under another name, and in another course, it branched out again between two of the steepest of them.”
Staffing
For economic reasons, Elinor insists upon an arrangement in which they “limited the number of their servants to three; two maids and a man, with whom they were speedily provided from amongst those who had formed their establishment at Norland.” Later, we learn that the manservant is called Thomas. We also know the Dashwood keep no horses nor carriage, so there would be no groomsman.
