Rose Cottage The Homestead

Rose Cottage and The Homestead are two dwellings located in Horham, with a core dating back to the 15th century and alterations from the 17th century. The building has in-line additions at both ends from the 18th century, early 19th century, and around 1980 when it was modernised, resulting in a single long range. The structure is timber framed and roughcast-rendered, topped with a pantiled roof and stands at one and a half storeys.

The mid-20th century features include standard casement windows with small panes, two raking dormers, and two boarded doors. Inside, there is an internal stack and the core consists of a two-bay former open hall with a crude raised-aisle open truss, though only the rear half is visible. A bridging beam, set well below the wallplate level, supports a plain post that rises to an arcade plate and collar, with a side tie to the wallplate and a curved brace extending down to the end of the bridging beam. Evidence of an original cross-entry doorway can be found in the front wall, alongside part of another arched doorhead that appears to be in its original position.

The upper end wall has been rebuilt using many re-used timbers, predating the inserted floor. The queen-posts in this wall are not pegged to the tie beam, and between them is evidence of a six-light diamond-mullioned window. The rafters remain intact and show signs of sooting above the arcade plates. The inserted floor features irregular heavy joists that are notched into the 15th-century bridging beam and supported by a ledge against the end wall. A stack was added to the cross-passage in the 17th century. The bay to the right of the stack is a 17th-century rebuilding of the medieval service end, re-using many timbers, and the floor structure includes a 17th-century axial bridging beam with re-used medieval joists.