Shell Cottage

House. Dating from the 15th century, Shell Cottage is a timber-framed building constructed on a base of lias limestone rubble and brick. The infill is painted brick and rendered, and the roof is thatched. The original open hall was two framed bays long, aligned north-west/south-east. A first floor was added later, as was a sandstone and brick fireplace with a brick ridge stack and a lean-to bread oven projecting from the south-west elevation. A solar and service bay were built as outshuts; the service outshut has been replaced by a mid-20th century addition. The house has a single storey and attic, with dormers. The timber framing consists mainly of two panels from sill to wall-plate. The solar outshut features large swept braces in the lower corners. Traces of diamond mullions on the mid-rail and wall-plate suggest that the former open hall had tall windows. The north-west gable end has a collar and tie-beam truss with struts; the south-east gable end has a clasped purlin truss with a mantel beam but no tie-beam. The main south-west elevation has two 19th century windows on the ground floor, and an eyebrow dormer to the upper bay. All windows are 2-light casements. A ledged and battened 19th century door, with a gabled canopy on shaped brackets, is situated to the right of the upper bay. There are also attic lights in the north-west gable end. The solar outshut has three rectangular 20th century windows. Inside, the roof features an intermediate arch-braced open truss and three pairs of matched wind-braces on both sides. Each clasped purlin runs the full length of the roof (30 feet); all main roof members are chamfered and smoke-blackened. The upper end wall-frame to the hall has a central post with flanking swept braces, and shallow triangular headed doorways on either side leading to the solar, which has a central partition. A similar doorway in the north-west gable end led to a combined buttery and pantry in the former service outshut. The fireplace has a moulded lintel, and there is a winder staircase located at the north-east side of the upper bay. This is a probably unique example of a medieval hall in miniature, and it may have been the dower house to Shell Manor.