Henley Bridge Cottage

TQ 61 SE 28/8 13.5.87

ASHBURNHAM BRAY'S HILL Henley Bridge Cottage

II

Cottage. Possible C16 or earlier origin, modified in C17 and altered and enlarged after 1960. Original part comprises one bay of a timber framed building which prior to the mid C20 had another bay to the south west and may possibly have been an open hall with inserted C17 chimney stack and ceiling. Further bay added to north east together with rear extensions after 1960. Building now of brown brick to ground floor with tile-hung first floor and thatched roof with eyebrow dormers to front and off central brick chimneystack. Two storeys; two windows. Mid C20 UPVC casements with leaded lights and C20 brick and tiled lean-to porch. The interior retains a roll-moulded dais beam, probably of early C16 date, to south western wall with C18 English Garden Wall brickwork underneath. The remainder of this room retains an open fireplace with wooden bressumer with runout stop, lined with Cl9 stretcher bond brickwork incorporating the outline of two niches and C20 seats in matching brickwork. There is a C17 spine beam with one inch chamfer. C17 sandstone chimneystack. Above the front porch are some old beams including a curved brace but as these do not line up with the original external wall they are reused, either from the demolished part of this building or from an adjacent property which was also demolished this century. Upstairs the frame is visible with gunstock jowled posts and top of the wall frame. The original roof survives to this bay with old rafters and a reported collar beam. A particularly interesting survival on the south east wall is sections of pargetting, probably of C17 date with alternate straight and curved patterns. Although only a fragment of the original building survives, this cottage retains some interesting and rare features.

Listing NGR: TQ6716313831