Cotton Hall

Cotton Hall is a house with origins in the late 15th century, significantly altered in the late 17th century, and with 19th and 20th century additions. It is now a private residence. The construction is primarily red brick and plaster infilled timber framing, with a tile roof. The house is two storeys and an attic, arranged in five bays, with a gabled form. The east gable features softwood timbers laid over oak, creating small framing with decorative panel infilling and vase-shaped studs in a late 17th century style. A raking bressumer at first floor level is carved with a continuous diamond motif, flanked by consoles depicting female heads with ruffs. This jettied gable rests on carved consoles. A two-light ground floor window retains its original wrought iron casements, pivoting on gudgeons, and lead lattice glazing. A replaced three-light flush casement window, also with lead lattice glazing, is at first floor. The west gable has old bricks laid in two-course bands at first floor and eaves. A pair of four-panel oak doors, with bolection moulding, are set within a heavily chamfered frame. A French window with wing lights and leaded glazing is also present, as are three replaced two-light cross windows with leaded glazing and stone sills. A blocked window is visible in the gable, and bargeboards are fitted to the gables. At the rear, the north-east gable displays timbers above a full-length lean-to. Large 20th century additions extend to the rear on the north-west side. Tall stacks flank both north-facing gables. Inside, the house retains numerous original timbers in the internal walls, including a deep ground sill and a moulded mullion window from a former external wall. Features include Tudor arch-shaped heads within the timber framing, a deep, heavily moulded girding beam, massive octagonal posts, ogee moulded girth frame members, an inglenook, deep bevelled floor beams, and flat stop-chamfered medieval ceiling joists. The main trusses in the attic, which are from the 15th century, are at right angles to the 17th century external gables. These trusses include an arched braced truss with a moulded canted tie beam and curved braces, and an intermediate collar truss with long curved braces. Other features include deep wall plates, massive jowls (projecting blocks) at the tops of the posts, widely spaced studs without rails, original purlins with wind braces, a wide-boarded attic door on “H” hinges.