Will'S Ayley Cottages

Will's Ayley Cottages are two cottages built in the mid-16th century, with 19th-century additions. They are timber-framed and plastered, featuring red brick stacks and a roof made of thatch and peg tiles. The cottages have a rectangular plan and are two storeys high.

The west elevation has two central long jettied bays supported by a central principal joist and a bracket. The principal stack is located behind this feature. The northern and southern end additions are flush with the upper front wall and each has an end gable stack; only the southern end addition has a tiled roof, while the rest is thatched. The front elevation has an irregular arrangement of six windows, all casements with glazing bars, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. There are two doorways: one in the northern addition with a 20th-century door, and another in the southern lean-to with a clay-tiled porch connecting the old and newer sections, also with a 20th-century door.

The rear east elevation has flush walling, with the northern end addition skewed to the central block, and a clear break at the southern end. The fenestration is irregular, similar to the front. The northern and southern end elevations have gable ends that are alike, featuring external 19th-century stacks. The northern end is blank, while the southern end has a blocked doorway on the ground floor and a single casement window at the rear, along with a single casement window on the first floor at the front.

Inside No. 1, the central jettied framing shows upper front posts that are jowled at both the top and bottom for jetty construction. The framing is noticeably skewed, creating a parallelogram shape. The end units are asymmetrical, resulting in a square external outline. There are large central fireplaces that are back-to-back, now with 20th-century infilling.