Fern Cottage And Attached Factory Fern House

Fern Cottage and the attached factory, known as Fern House, are two houses built back to back, along with a factory that was used from the 19th century for the production of artificial flowers until around 1928. The buildings date from the early 18th century and are constructed of watershot masonry with a slate roof. They are 2½ storeys tall, with the east front featuring three symmetrical bays. The outer bays have chamfered mullioned stepped windows with five lights on each floor, although each window is missing two mullions. Above these windows, there is a gabled attic light. The central bay contains two doorways with monolithic jambs, which are protected by a glass storm porch added around 1980. There are two stacks on the outer bays that rise to the ridge. Attached to the right side is the bay that was used as a factory, which has a chamfered taking-in door to the first floor, complete with tie-stones, and it rises slightly higher than the house. The rear of the building has a similar arrangement of stepped windows, but these have plain stone surrounds and flush-faced mullions.