Rectory Hill Cottage Numbers 1 And 2 And St Marys Cottage

A range of cottages, likely dating from the 16th century with later alterations and additions. Numbers 1 and 2 probably replace an earlier structure from the early 19th century. The cottages are timber-framed, rendered, with sections underbuilt in painted brick and brick additions. They have plain tile roofs and red brick stacks. The layout is U-shaped, with Rectory Hill Cottage facing the street, a range to its right forming Numbers 1 and 2, and an end bay now incorporated into St Mary's Cottage, which occupies a rear cross range. Later additions extend the rear of the cross ranges.

Rectory Hill Cottage is two storeys with an attic, and has a four-bay frame underbuilt in brick. It features a canted bay under a tiled roof containing small-paned casements, a three-light small-paned casement above, and a four-pane sash to the gable. A steeply pitched swept roof is present, along with a rear gable stack incorporated into a later range. The left return has a central half-glazed door, a 20th-century bay window to the left, and an unequal sash window with glazing bars to the right, with eight-pane sashes above.

Numbers 1 and 2 have half-glazed doors under bracketed tiled porches and horned sashes with glazing bars. A first-floor string course runs along the facade and two ridge stacks are visible. St Mary's Cottage is a two-bay frame. The right return has a 20th-century door in a porch and other 20th-century openings. A rear extension likely dates to the 17th century.

The interior of Rectory Hill Cottage reveals some original timber framing, including jowled posts and a studded wall to the first floor. The front wall on the first floor has a pair of blocked six-light windows with ovolo principal mullions and diamond subsidiary mullions, flanking a 20th-century window. A clasped purlin roof is also present. St Mary’s Cottage showcases exposed framing, and was originally jettied to the rear. It contains an inglenook fireplace with stop-chamfered bressummer, studded walls, and a two-light blocked window to the jettied wall displaying sections of ovolo and cavetto chamfered mullions. A spiral newel stair is located near the stack. The first floor features a fireplace with a chamfered elliptical arch, jowled posts with down braces, and studded walls. Extensive surviving wall paintings are present, featuring strapwork and floral motifs in red and blue, surmounted by a frieze with hatchments, scrollwork and figures in Renaissance style in black on a white background.