Marley's Cottage

Marley’s Cottage is a small, very well-preserved early 16th-century cottage located on the east side of Middle Street in Great Gransden. It’s an excellent example of a vernacular property with an open hall and an original aisle to the north. The cottage has a substantial timber frame of two bays, topped with a thatched roof that is hipped to the east and extended as an outshut over a service bay, which has been recently extended. A brick chimney dated 1676 is built of carved brick and stands independently of the west gable wall. The south-facing elevation features two dormer windows and two three-light 19th-century casement windows with geometric glazing bars. The front entrance is a 20th-century oak door. The timber frame is filled with brick nogging at ground floor level. Inside, the cottage features an inglenook hearth that was rebuilt in the 17th century and a floor inserted into the hall. The roof structure retains original side purlins with wind braces, and original plaster remains between the rafters. A distinctive feature is an edge-halved and bridled scarf joint with a key peg in the 'arcade' plate to the north, indicating the traditional craftsmanship of the roof’s construction.