Fairthorne Cottage

Fairthorne Cottage is a former farmhouse dating from the early 17th century, with extensions from the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is timber-framed, with the ground floor underbuilt in 19th century Flemish bond red brick, which includes some burnt headers, particularly on the south side. It has brick stacks and chimney shafts, topped with a peg-tile roof.

The house faces west and has a layout that is two rooms wide and two rooms deep, with a central passage leading to the main stair. The right front room serves as the main parlour, featuring a rear stack that backs onto a small unheated larder. The left front room has an end stack, and the kitchen behind it includes an axial stack.

Most of the structure appears to be from the 19th and 20th centuries, with the 17th century work confined to the front right parlour, which is well-preserved up to the roof. The craftsmanship suggests that it was unlikely to have originally been a one-room plan house, but there is no exposed evidence to indicate where the rest of the 17th century structure might have been. The 17th century section is two storeys high with an attic, while the rest of the house is also two storeys.

The exterior features irregular two-window fronts on all four sides, showcasing various 19th and 20th century casements with glazing bars, some of which are iron-framed. The front doorway is centrally located on the west front and contains a 19th century plank door behind a 20th century gabled porch. The right (south) range roof is taller and set at right angles to the front. The front gable, which includes the attic storey, is supported by a 17th century moulded oak bressummer, intricately carved with bands of dentils, oval beads, and billets. The roofs over the entrance hall and left front room run parallel to the front, with two cross roofs extending to the rear, all featuring gable ends.

Inside, the 17th century section is well-preserved, although the wall framing is covered with plaster. Both floors have chamfered crossbeams with step stops, and most of the plain joists are original. The fireplaces have been blocked by 20th century grates. The roof consists of two bays with tie-beam trusses, side purlins clasped by raking struts, and small windbraces. The remainder of the house lacks exposed carpentry, with all features dating from the 20th century.