The Old Post Office Cottage

The Old Post Office Cottage is an early 17th-century timber-framed cottage located on Huxley Lane in Tiverton. Originally a three-cell house with a heated kitchen and hall, it was later divided into two cottages in the 19th century before being returned to a single residence in the 20th century. The cottage now has two storeys, having been raised from one-and-a-half stories in the 20th century. The roof is thatched, with modern brick stacks in each gable.

The cottage presents a picturesque appearance with many modern wooden features. The street front has five windows on the ground floor, each with a two- or three-light casement and leaded lights. Two 19th-century doorways, each with a thatched hood, are located centrally and at the right end. The original doorway to the through passage is now the fourth window from the left. Two half dormers are positioned above. The rear elevation features two bay windows on the ground floor, two doors (one leading to the through passage), and two small windows. Above are four two-light full dormers. A continuous line in the render marks the original roofline.

Inside, much of the original timber frame remains, although there is considerable evidence of alteration and reuse on the ground floor. The timbers, including the original oak ones, are roughly finished. The kitchen retains a bressumer beam, and a screen to the passage has been altered. The original hall stack and fireplace have been removed, as has the inner room frame. A new winder stair has been constructed in the original location. All joists have been replaced, and the ceiling was likely raised. The first floor comprises three rooms and a stair/stack bay, indicating that the hall below is longer than the room above, resulting in five roof trusses, with only four extending to the ground; the fifth is carried on a hall cross beam. The roof trusses have interrupted ties. The earlier roof previously reached an apex before a new roof was built. The roof structure features trenched collar purlins with morticed, pegged principals, one of which is notched for a diamond-set ridge piece, now at the inner room end. A roof from the early 20th century sits above this.

Despite its modernized appearance, the cottage retains a substantial portion of an interesting timber frame and its original plan. It was originally a relatively large house, albeit constructed with surprisingly ill-finished timbers.