Commons Cottage and The Cottage

This is a house, divided into two dwellings, likely originating in the 16th century and significantly enlarged in the early 17th century. It was altered in the mid-18th century and late 19th century, and subsequently restored in the 20th century. The building is timber-framed with brick and rendered infill, with replacement brick walling and refacing, and has plain tiled roofs. The main range, originally three framed bays aligned north/south, is now largely cased and partly rebuilt in brick, featuring two large external chimneys with offsets at the rear and a rebuilt porch wing on the west elevation, possibly situated within a former through-passage. A smaller north bay intersects with a two-bay cross-wing.

The main part of the house is two storeys and an attic, while the cross-wing is single-storey and attic with dormers. The cross-wing framing features three rows of panels from sill to wall-plate, with short straight upper braces at the gable ends. The north wall of the cross-wing was rebuilt in the 19th century, while the south side wall consists of two rows of close-set vertical studs. The roofs have collar and tie-beam trusses with close-set studding above and below the collar at both gable ends. The early 17th-century porch wing to the main part was rebuilt in the 20th century; its upper floor is supported by timber posts and contains two rows of panels and a collar and tie-beam truss with two struts and a concave-sided V-strut in the apex.

The west front of the main part has 20th-century leaded casement windows, including a three-light, a two-light, two single-lights on the ground floor, and two two-lights (one with a cambered head) and two rectangular lights on the first floor. The central, gabled, timber-framed porch is 20th-century and provides access to the front door. The first floor of the former porch has two windows to the front and one to the right side. The gable end of the cross-wing has tiled weatherings above the collar and tie-beam, and an attic light. The north elevation of the cross-wing contains the main entrance to the other dwelling.

Internally, the main part retains its collar and tie-beam trusses, along with two tiers of purlins. The cross-wing features an intermediate collar and tie-beam truss with struts and scarf-jointed purlins. Large 19th-century fireplaces are positioned against each gable end wall, with corresponding brick stacks. The building was formerly part of the Bearcroft Estate.