Henley Bridge Cottage

Henley Bridge Cottage is a cottage that may have origins dating back to the 16th century, with modifications made in the 17th century and further alterations and enlargements occurring after 1960. The original part of the cottage consists of one bay of a timber-framed building, which likely had another bay to the southwest before the mid-20th century and may have originally been an open hall. A chimney stack and ceiling were inserted in the 17th century. After 1960, an additional bay was added to the northeast, along with rear extensions.

The building features a brown brick ground floor, a tile-hung first floor, and a thatched roof with eyebrow dormers at the front and an off-central brick chimneystack. It is two storeys high and has two windows, which are mid-20th century UPVC casements with leaded lights. There is also a 20th-century brick and tiled lean-to porch.

Inside, the cottage retains a roll-moulded dais beam, likely from the early 16th century, on the southwestern wall, with 18th-century English Garden Wall brickwork beneath it. The room also has an open fireplace with a wooden bressumer that features run-out stops, lined with 19th-century stretcher bond brickwork that outlines two niches and includes 20th-century seats in matching brickwork. A 17th-century spine beam with a one-inch chamfer and a 17th-century sandstone chimneystack are also present.

Above the front porch, there are some old beams, including a curved brace, which do not align with the original external wall, suggesting they were reused from either the demolished part of this building or from a nearby property that was also demolished in this century. Upstairs, the frame is visible, showcasing gunstock jowled posts and the top of the wall frame. The original roof remains in this bay, featuring old rafters and a reported collar beam. Notably, sections of pargetting, likely from the 17th century, can be seen on the southeast wall, displaying alternate straight and curved patterns. Despite only a fragment of the original building remaining, Henley Bridge Cottage retains several interesting and rare features.