Essex Cottage

Essex Cottage is a house that dates back to the 16th century or earlier. The hall was floored and a chimney was added in the 17th century, with restoration occurring in the 20th century. The building features a timber frame that is roughcast, topped with a steep half-hipped thatch roof. It is a long, 5-bay, 1½ storey house that faces west, with an internal chimney located a third of the way from the south end and a later gable chimney added to the north end.

The west front, which is on the roadside, has four windows and two dormers at the eaves. The windows are 2- and 3-light flush casement types with leaded glazing. There is a battened door in the middle, with a red brick bulge of an oven to the right. Flat-laid rafters are visible at the eaves. Inside, there is evidence of a former open hall, including slots for braces in the bay posts in the southern bay flanking the inglenook. The butt ends of a cut-off tie-beam can be seen above, and at the back of the chimney, there is a fragment of a tie-beam and one supporting brace.