Foresters Arms

The Foresters Arms comprises a pair of semi-detached 18th-century cottages that were converted to serve as a public house after 1839. An additional cottage was added to the west by 1875, and the public house was enlarged to the north and east in stages between the late 19th and 20th centuries.

The building has internal timber framing to the 18th-century core, with brick walls, weatherboarding, and a mixture of clay and slate tiles to the roof.

Plan and Layout

The 18th-century core consists of a symmetrical pair of former cottages divided by a central hearth and shared lobby entrance. Both cottages have front and rear rooms arranged over two floors with additional attic accommodation. The original plan-forms remain legible, with the front rooms at ground floor now serving as two distinct bar rooms. The rear rooms are used as a beer cellar (west; extended in 1980) and kitchen/store (east) as part of the conversion to a public house and subsequent adaptation. Stairs are retained in the western former cottage, which provides the only access to the upper floor rooms. The dividing lateral wall has been breached to allow the corridor to pass through to the east cottage.

There are two separate eastern extensions associated with the building's use as a pub. On the south-east side is a late 19th-century bar parlour extension, and to the north-east is a 1922 hall with a toilet block of 1950 attached to the northern end and a circa 1980 porch entrance to the east. These additions are not considered to add to the building's special interest. An additional 19th-century cottage, with compact front and rear rooms to both floors and a later lean-to toilet block, is accessed separately from South Street.

Exterior

The main 18th-century core is symmetrically arranged with a central brick stack dividing the two formerly distinct cottages. The clay-tiled roof is half-hipped with the stub-gables of the attics clad in horizontal weatherboards; both gables have central two-light windows. The range is principally of red brick, laid in Flemish bond with decorative use of over-fired headers.

To South Street, a pair of multi-paned casement windows occupies the first floor, the left set under a timber lintel, the right under gauged brick. Set between these is a modern signboard, possibly covering an earlier painted version shown in historic photographs. The ground-floor elevation is characterised by work of 1907, with a central entrance door reached by a set of steps, set under a tiled canopy supported by timbers with chamfered leading edges. This unifies the two contemporary canted bay windows to the front bar rooms, both with leaded lights. A brick retaining wall is set forward of the principal elevation, flanking the central steps.

The rear elevation of the 18th-century range has two projecting wings extending to the north, either side of the central stack. The rear wings, which do not include attic space, have a lower pitch height than the main range. The roof is half-hipped with stub-gables to the first floor clad in horizontal weatherboards. The east wing has a pair of casement windows placed centrally, with a further inserted narrow window to the east side for the partitioned-off bathroom added circa 1950. Below are two 20th-century windows. The eastern side of the wing is partially obscured by the rear wall of the 1922 extension which wraps around to cover this end section. The west wing also has a central pair of casement windows to the first floor. Below, the west wing has been partially extended by the 1980 ground-level beer cellar, which is of purple brick and has a tiled, half-hipped roof. A central larder at ground-floor level, which was added by 1907, has infilled the original space between the two wings behind the central stack.

The bar parlour built in the late 19th century to the east of the main range facing South Street is a small single-storey building served by its own chimney stack on its eastern side. Next to the east stack is the original entrance door, which is part-glazed with fielded panels, reached by steps with late 19th-century decorative ironwork handrails. The South Street elevation has a broad leaded-light sash window positioned centrally.

Behind this, the 1922 hall steps out slightly to the east. The hall is of rectangular plan and single storey in height, although rather loftier than the parlour. It is constructed in pale red brick laid in stretcher bond with a slate roof with central cupola vent. The entrance, in the centre of the eastern elevation, is flanked by a pair of tripartite sash windows; this is now concealed by a circa 1980 porch which does not contribute to the special interest. A further sash window under gauged brick voussoirs is retained to the east side of the south elevation. A toilet block of circa 1950, with part of the roof half-hipped and the east side flat and asphalt covered, has extended the hall to the north and is also not of special interest.

To the west of the 18th-century range is the mid-19th-century double-storey cottage. The roof, gabled at the west side, was finished with a cover of plain clay tile. The brickwork is arranged into red and grey brick bands, laid in English bond. The South Street frontage has casement windows to both levels, with the ground-floor window and the entrance to the east both set under gauged brick voussoirs. There is a chimney stack to the west elevation, which is concealed under render incised to give the impression of ashlar. A small lean-to brick water closet added by 1908 is set against this elevation. The rear elevation of the cottage is of brick with the first floor clad in clay tiles; this has two further casement windows and a rear door.

Interior

The front bar rooms of the main range are divided by a central brick stack with a lobby entrance set in front. There are inglenooks with timber lintels to both sides; the dividing brick fireback has been largely removed to create an opening of restricted height between the rooms. Above the inglenooks are protruding timber ledges, which support the first-floor hearths above. Both front rooms have substantial 18th-century chamfered ceiling beams with diagonal-cut stops which run parallel to the stack. Thin joists are set perpendicular to the beams; several of those to the outer walls of the range are later machine-cut replacements.

The dado-level fielded panelling and internal doors of the front rooms form part of the 1907 refurbishment. This work is characterised by its chamfered edges, matching the detailing of the contemporary entrance canopy and bay windows seen externally. The slight enlargement of the east bar room in the mid-20th century removed the stairs in this section, although the position of the partition can be identified in the ceiling by sawn-off studs. The counter in the east bar room is modern but the bar back shelving, which has turned and ringed supports to the shelves, appears to be of late 19th-century date, although clearly re-sited as this is in the location of the original stairs. In the west bar room a later 20th-century timber fire surround has been integrated into the panelling in the centre of the west wall.

The rear section of the main range is also divided into two distinct areas. The east is occupied by the kitchens and larder; this area retains simple red floor tiles of late 19th or early 20th-century date. The western half serves as a ground-level beer cellar, extended to the north in 1980. This west section is divided from the front bar room by the original winder stairs on this side, set against the west wall, beneath which is a closet with a plank and batten door with strap hinges. Within the closet it is possible to see the original lath work to the dividing wall and the 18th-century carpentry work to the underside of the stairs.

The late 19th-century bar parlour extension has a parquet block floor, tongue-and-groove panelling to dado level, and an Art Nouveau fireplace in the centre of the east wall. The 1922 luncheon and tea room/hall addition is a single large room, also with parquet block flooring. It was originally heated by a chimney stack on its western side, now blocked. A modern bar counter and bar back has been inserted in this room. The bar back covers the original chimney breast, although the original moulded cornice is retained.

At first-floor level in the main range only, two principal rooms are set to the front with rear ranges occupied by smaller rooms. 18th-century plank and batten doors with spear-headed strap hinges and latch fasteners feature throughout at this level. The front rooms both have chamfered beams with diagonal-cut stops matching those below, although ceiling joists are concealed. The west room retains an Art Nouveau fire surround with decorative cheek tiles. The front east room has had modern built-in cupboards which cover any fireplace which may survive here. The rear east room has had a partition added and a bathroom inserted.

At attic level in the 18th-century range, part of the original partition remains, as does the central brick stack. The roof structure, which is consistent in both the front and rear ranges, is of staggered butt-purlin form, the common rafters concealed by applied boards. Broad floorboards, probably of 18th-century date, are retained at this level. The upper sections of the stairs to the attic survive on both sides; some form of ladder must have been used to access this upper section from the first floor originally as there is no place a full staircase could have conceivably been positioned.

The mid-19th-century western cottage was not inspected internally.

Subsidiary Features

Set centrally in front of the forecourt of the pub is a 20th-century hanging pub sign with some simple wrought-iron work.

In the rear garden, situated to the north, there is a simple 19th-century outbuilding with circa 1950 double doors and steel-framed windows added and the roof retiled in the 1990s, with a basic timber garage set adjacent. These outbuildings do not contribute to the special interest and are excluded from the listing.