The Thatched Cottage

The Thatched Cottage is a house located in Dedham, likely dating from the 17th century. It features a timber-framed construction with a three-room lobby entrance plan, which was refenestrated in the 20th century. The exterior is rendered and sits on a plinth, topped with a hipped thatched roof and an off-central brick chimney stack. The front elevation includes a dormer with a 20th-century wooden casement window, a similar casement window below, and a smaller casement window to the right. The doorcase is flanked by sidelights. The rear elevation has a plank door, a fixed-pane 19th-century casement window, and a 20th-century casement window. Traces of old pargetting can still be seen.

Inside, much of the timber frame is exposed, showcasing wall studs, a chamfered axial beam, and unchamfered joists in the central room. The closed truss between the center and the left-hand (northwest) rooms features cambered tie-beams, while there is a brick axial stack against the other partition and a partly blocked fireplace that heats the central room. The right-hand (southeast) room is inaccessible, and the left-hand room has a later axial partition. The roof is ceiled, but collars and possible clasped side purlins are visible.