Ripstowe the Cottage

The Cottage and Ripstowe are two houses that were originally one, dating from the late 16th century to early 17th century, with extensions added in the 18th and 20th centuries. The buildings are timber framed, mostly plastered, and partly faced with painted brick, topped with handmade red plain tiles. The main section of the house faces south and features an internal stack against the front wall. To the right, there is an extension with an internal 18th or 19th-century stack behind the ridge, and a single-storey extension from the 20th century beyond that, which has a roof made of red interlocking tiles.

On the left end, there is a 17th-century crosswing with a 20th-century external stack to the left of the rear bay, along with various rear extensions. The Cottage on the left side has an early 20th-century splayed bay window, one early 20th-century casement window, and two more on the upper floor, one of which is in a hipped dormer. There is also a 20th-century half-glazed door. Ripstowe on the right side features three 20th-century casements, two more in gabled dormers, a 20th-century half-glazed door, and a fully glazed door in the right extension.

Inside The Cottage, the main range includes a wide wood-burning hearth facing left, which has been reduced for a 20th-century grate. There is a chamfered axial beam with lamb's tongue stops and plain joists of horizontal section. The crosswing has transverse joists of vertical section, and in the left wall of the front bay, there is a mantel beam from a demolished external stack. The upper floor was not inspected. Ripstowe displays heavy studding at the front, a face-halved and bladed scarf in the rear wallplate, and primary straight bracing.