Oak Tree Cottage

BARDSEY-CUM-RIGTON CHURCH LANE SE34SE LS17 (west side) 7/6 Oak Tree Cottage

GV II

House. Late C16 with early C19 alteration and extension. Rendered and pebble-dashed rubble walls, exposed timber-frame to south front, C20 brown tile roof but thatched originally. 2 cells with central through-passage. 2 storeys. 3 bays, central bay narrower. Central doorway has moulded wood architrave with, to right, jamb posts to either side on padstones. To left, cruciform wooden casement window; to right, wide Yorkshire sash. Smaller Yorkshire sashes to 1st floor. 1st-floor timbering: mid-rail, wall-plate, 4 posts with straight braces and close-studded wall. The studs are pegged and jointed to rail and plate and halved over the braces and taper off. The left-hand 2 bays are lower than right-hand bay, perhaps indicating a difference in floor heights originally. Ridge stack at junction of 1st and 2nd cells. Rear: later added cell to rear of 2nd cell has parallel roof. 1st cell has window with projecting sill and ½ dormer above. Right-hand return has single Yorkshire sash with 2 windows above and small windows above them, one circular, one rectangular. Added cell has doorway with wooden surround and 1st-floor canted-bay windows.

Interior: much of the timbering survives: former bressumer with stop-chamfers supported either end by posts on padstones. Posts have jowelled heads and are braced to wall-plate. On 1st floor rear wall of 2nd cell, at junction with later addition, has surviving close-studded wall.

In the C19 this was a tobacconist's shop and formerly had a notice over the front door saying "Here lives Nathaniel Clough A seller of tobacco And very fine snuff". The exposed timber framing is a rare survival in this region. RCHM (England) report.

Listing NGR: SE3638543032