38, Gracious Street

No. 38 Gracious Street is a cottage dating from the late 17th century. It features a timber frame with plaster rendering on a plinth and is topped with reed thatch, which is now covered with long straw, with one end being half-hipped. The cottage has a large original brick chimney at one end and a later corner chimney for the parlour. Originally, it was a two-bay cottage with a parlour cross-wing, and the doorway from Ivy Lane led to a lobby entry. One bay was removed and replaced by a 19th-century brewhouse, which has since been taken out, while the parlour was extended by one bay. The building is one storey with an attic, featuring one dormer facing Ivy Lane and two windows, along with the lobby entry doorway. The rear elevation also has two windows, one of which is now blocked, and at ground level, there is an original architrave for a three-light casement. Inside, there is an inglenook hearth, although the framing is not exposed. The late 17th-century corner fireplace in the parlour has been removed and replaced with a 20th-century fireplace in the same location. The roof was not visible at the time of inspection.