Long Cottage and Sunbeam Cottage

Long Cottage and Sunbeam Cottage

These are two adjoining timber-framed cottages dating from the 17th century, positioned side by side on Church Street with a southern aspect.

Long Cottage occupies the four western bays and is plastered with a steeply pitched thatched roof featuring a scalloped ridge. The roof slopes down to ground-floor window level and extends over a small single-storey projection on the west gable end. A red brick chimney stack rises from the ridge between the first and second bays. The front elevation is lit by three bays of three-light wooden casement windows with glazing bars, set flush in the wall, and two dormer windows positioned above the eaves. All fenestration dates to the early 21st century. A plank and batten front door of recent date is positioned between the first and second bay. The fourth bay to the east is lower in height, with one storey plus an attic, and is clad with pantiles. It features a fixed top-opening window on the ground floor and a two-light timber casement above. The rear elevation has two two-light timber casements and a stable door of recent date flanked by smaller windows occupying the last bay.

Sunbeam Cottage occupies the two eastern bays, is timber-framed with cob infill, and has a catslide roof with a red brick chimney stack rising from the ridge between the first and second bays. The front elevation is dominated by a large late 20th-century gabled porch with plain bargeboards and a two-light timber casement window. The left side of the ground and upper floors is lit by two-light horizontal casements; the right side by three-light casements. The east gable end has two-light casements on each level, followed by a door with glazed upper panels. All doors and fenestration are of recent date. The rear elevation's north-facing roof slope extends over an outshut to ground-floor level and is lit by two three-light casements on the left side.

Interior of Long Cottage

The front door opens into a lobby entry. Behind this are wide back-to-back fireplace openings with bressumers in the first and second bays. The fireplace in the second bay is brick-lined; that in the first bay contains a bread oven with an inserted glazed panel in the door. The staircase, originally positioned directly behind the fireplaces, has been removed and replaced with a modern oak staircase inserted into the third bay.

The roughly hewn timber frame is partly concealed by internal and external wall linings, though a number of framing elements survive, including the sole plate. Other elements are exposed: the principal storey posts, wall plates, and some floor frames. On the ground floor, the infill panels of the bay divisions have been removed, leaving open spaces between the studs. In the west gable cross frame, the studs have been replaced with modern oak timbers, as have most of the floor joists in the first bay, though the wall plate remains. The bay division between the second and third bays has studs and primary bracing tenoned into the sill beam and wall plate of the cross frame. The ceiling joists are exposed in the second and third bays; those in the second bay are tenoned into a substantial bridging beam strengthened by a long iron strap and supported by an upright central post (reused). In the attic, the studs of the bay divisions are exposed above the doors. The common rafter roof is strengthened longitudinally by purlins, and some lath and plaster survives underneath the plaster in the first and second bays. A partition wall has been inserted into the third bay to accommodate a bathroom. A number of thin plank and batten doors of probable 18th-century date survive.

The single-storey projection on the west gable end, containing the kitchen, has a rudimentary spindly timber frame of possible 18th-century date. It retains a wall plate supporting the common rafter roof with tie beams. The fourth bay at the east end, which may have originally formed part of the adjoining dwelling, has a lower, structurally different roof with principal rafters, purlins, and substantial tie beams.

Interior of Sunbeam Cottage

The first bay is heated by a brick fireplace, behind which a narrow staircase occupies its original position. The wide fireplace opening is brick-lined, probably dating to the 1970s, and has a substantial bressummer. The ceiling joists and common rafter roof are roughly hewn with slight scantling. Some joists have been replaced; those in the second bay are supported by a bridging beam of recent date. The east and west gable ends have exposed studs resting on the wall plate; the west gable end adjoining Long Cottage is constructed of cob. The bay division between the first and second bays has studs tenoned into a cambered tie beam. The central section of the tie beam has been subsumed by the brick chimneybreast, which may therefore have been added or rebuilt at a later date.