Judds Cottage

TL 51 SE AYTHORPE RODING KEERES GREEN

5/13 JUDDS COTTAGE

GV II*

Small hall house, early C14, altered circa 1600 and in C20. Timber-framed, plastered, roof thatched. 4 bays, with integral parlour/solar end to S, twin service rooms to N, 2-bay hall. Chimney stack of one hearth inserted in N bay of hall, circa 1600, with back to cross-entry. Floor inserted in hall, circa 1600. E elevation, 3 C20 casement windows, door with small glass pane. C20 casement window in gabled dormer. Roof half-hipped to S, hipped to N. The front and rear doors are still on the line of the original cross-entry. Framing exposed internally. One 2-centred service doorhead present, raised above original height owing to sinking of footings or rise of ground level over 6½ centuries. Original solar floor raised for same reason, confirmed by evidence of removed unglazed windows, all low in the walls. Curved tension bracing trenched to outside of studs. Jowled wallposts, cambered central tiebeam, crownpost roof almost complete, Original rafters, collars and battens, all heavily smoke-blackened, thatch renewed. Central crownpost of octagonal section with scroll-moulded cap and moulded base clasping tiebeam. Originally with 4 upper braces, of which only one axial brace is missing. Lateral braces are lap-jointed to rafters in same housings as collars, an early feature. All collars lap-jointed to rafters with nail-headed pegs, some pegged to collar-purlin. Curved rising braces to king stud at N end of hall. This building is in an exceptionally unchanged condition. It is comparable with Bridge House, Fyfield, (Hewett 1973, pp. 174-5) but more of it has survived. The S wall of the solar has been altered at an early date, probably C16 or earlier, substituting widely spaced diamond mullions for the wall studs, presumably to obtain a high level of daylight for some craft operation conducted there, for the mullions extend almost to floor level. Minor alterations to brickwork of hearth, from 1973.

Listing NGR: TL5957614275