Chalk Pit Cottages

The following Building shall be added:-

ODIHAM SU7374SO ALTON ROAD

(East side (off)) 17/10006 Chalk Pit Cottages

GV II

Two cottages, formerly part of terrace of four. Early C19 with C19 and C20 alterations. Reconstituted chalk on flint plinth with some brick rendered with limewash and chalk slurry; rear (east) wall largely rebuilt in concrete block c1968; south (right gable) wall rebuilt in brick 1960s, when 2 cottages further south demolished and painted 1993. Roof of plain tile, half-hipped at left end; brick chimney with 2 terracotta pots. The 2 remaining cottages are paired mirror-images, each of 2 cells, with shared stack, at front and rear of which the stairs were positioned. Formerly there was a pedestrian through-passage at the right side of the right-hand cottage. They are of one storey with attic. Each has an off-centre old board door, that on left with cover strips, flanked by 2-light windows. Until mid-late C20 these had diamond-leaded casements; now 2-pane lights. The right-hand window smaller, with 4-pane lights. Rafter feet visible at eaves. Each cottage has a small central gabled dormer, with a 2-light window (formerly leaded), brick gable and narrow wooden bargeboards. Chimney has brick band. Rear: largely rebuilt. Left-hand cottage has paired 2-pane windows to upper floor. At right side of former throughway wall is rounded and of header-bond brickwork. Left-hand gable: attic storey recessed slightly and having a wooden-pegged wood-framed window of 2 lights with diamond leading tied to iron staddle bars, the left-hand light an opening casement. Right-hand gable: rebuilt with double garage door. INTERIOR: brick paving; wooden floorboards to attic; partition walls of plastered laths and of light-scantling timber framing with brick infill, plastered. Board doors with old fittings. Chimney has timber bressumers to fireplaces, that in right-hand (southern) cottage retaining probably C19 cast-iron range, pot hood and chain. Left-hand cottage retains upper section of dog-leg wooden stair and the gable window has iron catch and chamfered wooden mullion. The roof is underdrawn and plastered; it appears to be of paired rafter construction with collard. The cottages line the entrance to Odiham Chalk Pit, which is featured on a map of 1739 (located in the church). The cottages themselves do not appear on this map. They are among only a few chalk buildings in Odiham and, along with these, they are believed to represent the easternmost extremity of the use of reconstituted chalk in southern England (G. Pearson, report).

Listing NGR: SU7375650906