Washwell Cottage

Washwell Cottage is an early 18th century smallholder's cottage with a mid-19th century addition. It is constructed from local uncoursed pink sandstone rubble and features a corrugated iron roof that replaced the original thatch, while the 19th century addition has a plain clay tile roof.

The original cottage has a single-cell plan, oriented from north-west to south-east, with a single-storey gabled addition attached to the north-west gable end, which is divided into two small rooms. The front elevation includes a mid-20th century gabled porch on the left with a four-panel outer door (the top panels are glazed) and a plank inner door. There are two 20th century casements, one on each floor, and an integral end stack on the right with a diagonally set brown brick chimney. The rear elevation features a two-light casement in the center on each floor (the lower one is from the late 19th century, and the one above is from the 20th century) and a bread oven projection on the left. The gable end of the 19th century addition has two single-light segmental-headed casements.

Inside, the main ground-floor room has a substantial cross-beam and roughly chamfered joists, along with a partly infilled inglenook fireplace that has a 19th century mantleshelf. To the right of the fireplace is a straight-flight oak staircase with a winder at the top. The corresponding room on the first floor features wide floorboards and a substantial chimney breast, while the 19th century addition has a quarry tile floor.

This type of smallholder's cottage is typical of Shropshire and the Welsh borders, often found near quarries or on the edge of common land. In 1953, the cottage became the home of Fred Jordan (1922-2002), a local farm worker and one of the last genuine rustic English folk-singers who learned his songs through an ancient oral tradition. He recorded several albums and gained national recognition in the traditional folk music scene. During his time in the cottage, it underwent little modernization or change, as he maintained the values, lifestyle, and appearance of a pre-war farm worker despite his success as a recording artist.