Lilac Cottage And The Old Vicarage

The building comprises two houses, Lilac Cottage and The Old Vicarage, situated on Stratford Road in Wootton Wawen. The core of the structure dates back to the 16th century, with a secondary facade added in 1764, marked by a commemorative plaque. Subsequent alterations and additions occurred in the late 19th century, alongside rear extensions, and a 20th-century extension to the rear of Lilac Cottage.

The houses are timber-framed with painted brick facades, covered by a plain-tile roof, and extend over three levels. The exterior presents six first-floor windows. The Old Vicarage has an off-centre right entrance with a plank and six-panel door, complemented by an overlight featuring glazing bars and a hood. Lilac Cottage features a central entrance with a similar six-panel door. To the right of The Old Vicarage’s elevation is a tripartite casement window with glazing bars set under a cambered arch. The remaining three left-hand windows are canted bays with casements. One canted bay is fitted with 4/4 and 8/8 sash windows. Two first-floor windows are full-height bays, with 8/8 and 4/4 sashes respectively. The remainder of the first floor has casement windows with glazing bars. A first-floor band is interrupted by the bay windows, as is the modillion eaves band. Gable roofs are present, along with a ridge and right-end stack, both featuring cornices. A Sun Fire Insurance mark is positioned above the door to The Old Vicarage.

The interior of Lilac Cottage includes some six-fielded-panel doors, a chamfered beam to the rear range, and a dog-leg staircase with stick balusters. Historical evidence suggests a partially surviving close-studded north wall, now an internal wall, and through studs in The Old Vicarage. The Wootton Wawen Report indicates these were likely burgage plots adjacent to the marketplace, illustrated on a late 16th-century map of King’s College property. The 1588/9 terrier lists the buildings and their outbuildings. The building served as a vicarage only during the 1960s.