The Forge

The Forge is a cottage dating from the 17th century, with a possible medieval core. It has one storey and attics, featuring a two-cell plan. The building is timber-framed and plastered, topped with a thatched roof that includes an axial chimney, which was rebuilt in 20th century red brick. There is a gabled thatched dormer, likely from the 17th century, and 19th and 20th century small-pane casements. A thatched lean-to porch leads to a 20th century framed and boarded entrance door.

Inside, the cottage boasts a complete 17th century timber-framed chimney, which is a rare and significant feature in Suffolk. The corner posts rise from the floor level, and in the right-hand room, there is an open fireplace with a lintel that is tenoned into the posts. The widely-spaced studs are tenoned into the lintel and extend to cross-framing at the eaves level. The hood of the chimney continues into the roof with a brick shaft at the top. This type of chimney, common in 16th and 17th century Suffolk, typically survives only in fragments. Some of the posts, tie-beams, and other structural elements are of medieval origin, and there may be smoke-blackened rafters still in place. The first floor was inserted in the 18th or possibly 19th century, along with a reconstruction of the roof structure.