Priests Cottage

Priests Cottage is a house that likely dates from the late 15th century, with some alterations made in the mid-19th century. It is constructed with a timber frame and rendered infill on a base of lias limestone rubble and handmade brick, topped with a plain tiled roof. The building consists of two framed bays oriented north to south, with a former through-passage in the north bay. The south gable end features a large external handmade brick chimney with offsets, a detached stack, and a lean-to bread oven. The north gable end has a 19th-century external brick chimney with offsets and a bread oven.

The cottage is a single storey with an attic that includes dormers. The framing is cruck-framed, with two rows of panels extending from the sill to the wall-plate. Full crucks are visible at both gable ends, although the blades on the south gable end now stop just above purlin level.

On the west front elevation, the windows are leaded casements. The ground floor includes a 2-light wood-mullioned window in the south bay. The main entrance, located to the right of the north bay, has a gabled timber-framed porch with 5-light diamond-mullioned openings on the front and left side, open on the right side, and features an original door with a 4-centred arched doorhead. There is also a timber-framed porch at the angle with the south external chimney, which has a glazed 4-light diamond-mullioned window on the front and a ledged and battened 19th-century door inside.

The base of the south chimney has a 2-light window facing west, while the base of the north chimney has two rectangular lights facing north. An attic light is present in the north gable end. Inside, the cottage retains a complete intermediate cruck truss and swept wind-braces, along with chamfered main beams and fireplace lintels. The south bread oven is blocked, and the wall-frame opposite the main entrance shows an interruption where the doorway for the through-passage would have been. This house is a rare survival in its complete state with little alteration.