Queen'S Cottage

832/0/10034 28-JUN-02

WICKHAMBROOK LADY'S GREEN Queen's Cottage

II

House, originally manor court hall. Late C16, altered C17 and later. Rendered and colourwashed timber-frame with plain tile roof and brick ridge stack. 4-bay plan originally with 2-bay central first floor hall, now L-plan. 2 storeys. Exterior has scattered C20 fenestration of casements and door in lean-to porch on east end. INTERIOR. Tall panel framing. Wide four-centred arched doorway, later blocked, in centre of N wall. Remains of adjacent original window. Evidence for narrower door for tenantry to W. Upper floor has massive undecorated cambered tie beams and some surviving arched braces. Evidence for original 4-light glazed mullioned windows in S and N walls. Surviving western open truss tie-beam had braces on S end but 2 mortices for studs at N end, possibly connected with structure for staircase up from tenants' door. Roof has large principal rafters up to squared ridge piece with partially housed purlins on upper face and straight diagonal braces from tie beams. Reversed cranked wind braces up to purlins, all designed to be seen from upper floor, the spine beams and ceilings being later inserts. E wall has fan bracing, originally exposed internally and externally to the adjacent road. All this carpentry is of high quality. Roof smoke-blackened adjacent to C17 inserted stack. HISTORY. The hall was probably converted to a house with open fireplace and stack inserted to create a lobby-entry plan late C17. Open internal space divided by timber stud partitions set below original cross-beams. Parlour fireplace added later, possibly when the house was divided into cottages c.1800. A significant survival of an unusual building type with much original structure remaining.