Former Cottage And Farmbuildings Adjoining Lower Eyton Farmhouse To East

A cottage and farmbuildings, likely dating from the 16th or 17th century, with alterations and additions in the 18th and 19th centuries. The buildings are timber framed, with sections of cruck construction, and have red brick nogging. Parts have been rebuilt using coursed Alberbury breccia rubble and red brick, with a squared and coursed Alberbury breccia plinth to the east. The layout forms an “L” shape, creating a “U” shape with Lower Eyton Farmhouse to the west. The roof is hipped with plain tiles and corrugated asbestos.

The original cottage has two framed bays to the west, attached to cow houses with two bays and a three-bay barn returning to the south. The building is one-and-a-half storeys and one storey with an attic. The timber framing has square panels, with one panel on a high brick base, possibly reusing old timbers. The north front has two gabled eaves dormers on the right, with two-light wooden casements; a glazed loft opening to the left; a boarded-over cottage window on the right with a segmental brick head; a cow house window off-centre to the left; and three boarded doors leading to the loft, with the right-hand door having two leaves and a segmental head. The left-hand return front has two loft openings and a doorway to the left. A segmental-headed boarded door is located at the rear of the former cottage.

The rear gable of the barn range displays a collar and tie-beam truss with queen struts. Inside the former cottage, which was later used as a dairy, are cambered collar and tie-beam trusses with queen struts; butt purlins with wind braces; angle braces. One bay has stop-chamfered spine beams and joists with run-out stops, while the other bay has a quarter-round moulded beam and a chamfered beam and joists with ogee stops. A probable 17th-century newel staircase is also present. The barn has two full cruck trusses with tie beams and collars; the truss to the south features a tension brace to the tie-beam and appears to have an Alcock apex-type F3 with a diagonally-placed ridge piece, while the truss to the north has an Alcock apex-type E. Single purlins are present, and the bay adjoining to the west has a collar and tie-beam truss with queen struts. Evidence of smoke blackening of the cruck trusses suggests the barn may have originally been domestic. The farmbuildings adjoin Lower Eyton Farmhouse to the east.