Nos 1 And 2 Old Monastery Cottages

Nos 1 and 2 Old Monastery Cottages, Reepham

Two semi-detached cottages of late 18th or early 19th century date, constructed in red brick with a tiled roof. They are joined to a subdivided 18th century house now known as No. 3 Old Monastery Cottages and The Old Monastery, which is separately listed at Grade II.

The cottages were originally simple rectangular dwellings of two storeys with two rooms on each floor and a central chimney stack. Both retain this basic layout. Small single-storey additions have been built to the rear: No. 1 contains a kitchen, while No. 2 has a longer extension housing a kitchen, utility room and bathroom. Both extensions incorporate enclosed winder stairs against opposite walls, accessed from the back rooms.

The front elevation is symmetrical, featuring paired windows on the ground and first floors with doors positioned on either side. All window and door openings are spanned by segmental gauged brick arches; those on the ground floor are of double brick height, except for the door arch of No. 1. No. 2 retains its original unhorned sash windows, while No. 1 is fitted with modern top-opening windows designed to replicate unhorned sashes. Rear windows are casements set under segmental gauged brick arches.

The kitchen extension to No. 1 is constructed of modern bricks, while the extension to No. 2 employs reclaimed bricks to match the original masonry. This extension is built as a lean-to against No. 3 Old Monastery Cottages.

Internally, both cottages contain brick fireplaces without grates. These have been rebuilt or renovated: the hearth in No. 2 is slightly raised with stretcher-bond brickwork, while No. 1 has a new tiled hearth with exposed brickwork limited to the immediate fire surround. No. 2 displays ceiling beams and joists throughout and retains two understairs cupboards—one large and one small—beside the stair door. No. 1 preserves its plank-and-batten stair door and one understairs cupboard, though other internal doors are modern moulded four-panelled designs. All other internal doors in No. 2 are plank and batten.

A brick-built single-storey outbuilding with a tiled roof stands to the rear of No. 1 across a small yard. This is one of two outbuildings on the same alignment. Although they occupy positions corresponding to buildings shown on Ordnance Survey maps from 1886 to 1938, their configuration differs from those historic versions, suggesting they represent only fragments of the original structures.

The cottages are shown on the 1886 Ordnance Survey map as two small square or rectangular units. By 1938, No. 2 had a rear addition that was subsequently reduced in size, while No. 1 had also acquired a small rear extension. Both cottages underwent late 20th century renovation with new extensions replacing these earlier additions.

These cottages survive substantially intact despite modern renovation and retain significant internal and external details that are rare survivors in such modest dwellings. They have group value with the adjacent Grade II listed house to which they are joined and with the Grade II listed Thatched Cottage to the west.