Norrells Cottages

Norrell's Cottages are two houses that were originally built as one in the early 16th century and around 1600. They are timber-framed, plastered, and have roofs made of handmade red clay tiles. The main part of the building, known as No. 1, has three bays and faces northeast, featuring a central stack that creates a lobby entrance from around 1600. To the right is a two-bay crosswing, No. 2, which dates back to the early 16th century and has a 20th-century internal stack at the rear.

The main range is one storey with attics, while the crosswing has two storeys. There are three 20th-century casement windows on the ground floor, two on the first floor, and one in a gabled dormer, along with two 20th-century doors. The crosswing jetties out at the front, supported by three plain brackets. The main stack features a moulded string course, a billet-moulded cornice, and three rebuilt octagonal shafts. The crosswing has a hipped roof at the rear.

Inside, the main range has jowled posts, stop-chamfered axial beams with lamb's tongue stops, plain joists, a trimmed stair trap in the left bay, and a joggled butt-purlin roof. Some internal tiebeams are missing or severed. On the first floor, there is a cast iron ducknest grate from around 1800. The crosswing is notably wide, with close studding and straight braces set into the interior. It has a chamfered binding beam with step stops and jowled posts without an internal tiebeam, featuring arched braces that rise to a low collar with a central peg, likely intended for a crownpost. Access to the roof above this level is not available. This roof construction is rare in Essex, with another example found at Round Hill House in Lamarsh. The interior is mainly plastered.

This farmhouse was likely constructed for the Norrell family and underwent alterations around 1600 by John Norrell or his son Augustine, who died in 1626, after which the family lost ownership of the land.