Meadows Cottage

Meadows Cottage is an early 17th century cottage located off Long Road in Dedham. It is timber framed and rendered, featuring some weatherboarding, and has a gabled roof covered with plain tiles. The cottage is one storey high with attics and has a continuous catslide lean-to at the rear. The front of the building includes 20th century casement windows, a painted door, and two lean-to dormers. There is a stack on the northeast flank, and the rear roof rises against its southeast side.

The structure consists of two bays of elm framing with jowled posts, heavy tie beams, and some straight wall-bracing that is exposed inside. The roof has side purlins with wind braces at the west end. This cottage appears to be an extremely late example of an open-hall house, featuring one floored bay, and it is possible that it has lost a further bay from the southwest end. The 'hall' bay now has an inserted floor but shows signs of soot blackening and the possible outline of a hall window.

The inglenook stack is made of early 17th century brickwork, with the lower part featuring moulded brick at the base of the flanks, which may have supported a former timber hood. Inside, there is a small area of painted 17th century panelling and two recessed doorheads shaped as flat triangles. The lean-to at the rear is an addition and consists of at least three phases.