White Cottage

White Cottage

An Arts and Crafts house designed by C. E. Mallows and built in 1908. The house is located at the north-west end of a long garden plot, facing north-west onto Days Lane, and is covered in roughcast render with a roof of red clay tiles and red brick chimney stacks.

The two-storey, asymmetrical house has an approximately rectangular plan with a hipped roof topped by bonnet tiles along the hips. Three tall chimney stacks have oversailing courses; the south-west stack is a later addition that replicates the earlier design. A one-bay, two-storey extension was added to the south-west end in 1933, and a late 20th-century single-storey kitchen extension on the north-east end has incorporated the original water closet and coal store.

The exterior is characterised by horizontal casements with varying numbers of small, square-paned lights, lead drip mouldings, and flush sills. The principal north-west elevation features, from left to right, a low roof sweeping to ground-floor level over the original coal store lit by a one-light window; a slightly recessed ground-floor bay with a four-light window and overhanging first floor lit by a three-light window set high against the eaves; a two-storey gabled projection housing the staircase with a low three-light window lighting a semi-basement and a high three-light window above; a single-storey hipped entrance lobby with a vertical plank door with moulded fillets, spur knocker and upright latch handle, flanked by a single-light window and a five-light window set against the eaves, with a four-light window above; a bay lit by five-light and four-light windows (the latter added in 1933); and an end bay (not original) lit by five-light and two-light windows. The south-east garden elevation has three gabled bays, the left-hand bay added in 1933, lit by a glazed door with margin lights and three-light window above on the left, and by five-light windows with four-light and three-light windows above on the right two bays. The roof sweeps down to ground-floor level over the original kitchen, now lit by a double-leaf glazed doorway with flanking windows providing access to a late 20th-century conservatory. A flat-roofed, single-storey kitchen extension on the gable end is partially hidden by a pergola (not original). The north-east gable end has a two-light window originally lighting the water closet.

The interior retains a linear plan form with a corridor along the north-west front and rooms along the south-east overlooking the garden. The entrance door leads into a small lobby with a later glazed door, opening into the hall. On the left is the staircase and the former water closet, now a bathroom. Along the garden front are the original kitchen (now dining room), original dining room, and drawing room, with a door inserted in the external wall of the drawing room to access the room added in 1933. The former coal store has been opened up to form part of the late 20th-century kitchen.

The interior retains high-quality white canary wood joinery in unpainted condition, possibly by the Pyghtle Works, including plain skirting boards and vertical plank doors ledged and braced on the internal face, with moulded fillets and upright latch handles with leaf-shaped ends. Many original windows survive with their ironmongery; green tiled sills appear in reception rooms, hall and landing, while red tiled sills are used in subsidiary areas. The upstairs bathroom retains its original lock marked 'engaged' or 'vacant'. Structural bridging beams run transversely along the south-east side of the former kitchen, dining room and drawing room; the drawing room has an additional beam on its north-west side. Picture rails are a later addition.

The drawing room features a fireplace with green tiled surround and hearth, a ceramic grate, a mantelpiece supported by shaped brackets, and a wooden overmantel. This is flanked by incorporated semi-circular arched cupboards with the top halves glazed as display cupboards with small square panes and the lower halves fitted with hinged writing desks that fold up, with cupboards below, retaining original ironmongery and keys. The skirting board appears to have been removed behind the cupboards, suggesting they may have been added slightly later, though this is inconclusive. Four narrow bookcases positioned underneath the ends of the bridging beams appear to be later additions. The dining room has a similar corner fireplace without cupboards or overmantel; the grate has been boarded up but may survive. Access to the garden is through a small vestibule between these two rooms, currently used as a cupboard. The former kitchen retains the opening for the range with a cambered brick arch and has a small internal window on the left side.

The closed well, dogleg stair has a closed string, square newel posts with flat caps, and stick balusters, painted to conceal its softwood construction. The door beneath the stairs leads to a small semi-basement used as a larder, retaining gauze at its windows. On the first floor, hip rafters are partially revealed, creating a cottage atmosphere. The north-east room retains a green tiled hearth though its fireplace has been boarded up, and retains original floorboards which may survive elsewhere under carpets. The room originally occupying the south-west end spanned the house width but a corridor was inserted to access the room added in 1933.

A York-paved terrace with an integrated millstone and square pattern of bricks, aligned with the back door, runs across the rear of the house. At either end are three semi-circular stone, brick-edged steps descending to another millstone set in the lawn. The incorporation of millstones in terracing is also a feature at Mallows' Three Gables.

The late 20th-century conservatory is excluded from the listing.