The Gate House

The Gate House is an early to mid-18th century cottage, possibly built upon an earlier structure. It was later used as an inn and served as a wheelwright’s shop in the later 19th century. The building is constructed from painted sandstone rubble with brick dressings, featuring a plain tile roof. It has a three-unit baffle-entry layout and comprises one storey and an attic. The design includes a dentil brick eaves cornice and three gabled semi-dormers with two-light wooden casements. A brick ridge stack is positioned off-centre to the right, and an integral brick end stack is on the left. The front elevation has three windows, which are two-light, segmental-headed wooden casements. A half-glazed door, situated between the first and second windows and off-centre to the right, is sheltered by a 19th-century gabled wooden porch. A pair of conically-roofed bread ovens projects from the left-hand gable end. Inside, a central ground-floor room has a chamfered spine beam with plain joists, and a blocked fireplace with a lintel. It is said to have been an alehouse, known as the Gate Hangs Well, possibly the same one first recorded in 1616. The Gate House is prominently situated in the centre of Picklescott and is included on the list for its group value.