Apple Tree Cottage

Apple Tree Cottage is a Grade II listed aisled building that dates back to the 16th century or earlier, with alterations made in the 17th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The structure is timber-framed and plastered, featuring a thatched roof, while the lean-to and rear extension have a roof covered with 20th-century 'Roman' tiles. Originally, the building served an uncertain function with a main span of 4.5 meters, oriented approximately north-south. Significant changes in the 17th century transformed it into its current form: the aisles were removed, the arcades were infilled, and the walls were raised by about 1.5 meters. The roof was rebuilt, an axial chimney stack was added at the south end, and a bay was added at each end, resulting in a two-storey house with four bays.

A single-storey lean-to extension was added to the south end in the 19th century, and a two-storey wing was extended to the east of the north bay in the 20th century. On the ground floor, there are four horizontal-movement sash windows from the 19th century or of a similar style, along with one small 20th-century casement window and a plain door. The first floor features four horizontal-movement sash windows, also from the 19th century or of a similar style. The roof is hipped at both ends, and some timber framing is exposed internally.

In the east wall, the original arcade plate is visible, with two arch braces still in place and evidence of a third that has been interrupted by an inserted window. The jowl of the central arcade post has been cut back to accommodate a stair, and the tiebeams and braces have been removed. The 17th-century clasped purlin roof includes three reused smoke-blackened medieval rafters. Notably, the 17th-century axial beam in the two middle bays is of exceptional interest; it is Y-shaped, formed from a forked trunk, and is properly squared and jointed, with the beam in the north bay still retaining its bark. In the roof space, a floor made of wattle and daub has been constructed in the western half of the south bay, likely for grain storage. The cottage maintains its character through the careful replacement of 19th-century horizontal-movement sash windows where necessary.