Silcocks Cottages

Former farmhouse, now divided into 3 cottages. Dating from the early to mid 16th century with late 17th century additions and minor 19th and 20th century modernisations. The building is timber-framed with some underbuilt painted brick. Much of the framing is plastered over and some is hung with peg-tile. Brick stacks are present, with the older one standing on a coursed sandstone base, and brick chimneyshafts support a peg-tile roof.

The three one-room plan cottages face west-northwest. They were created by subdividing a large farmhouse with a 16th century 3-room-and-through-passage plan. The service end originally lay at the left north end, divided from the rest by an axial partition. Beyond the passage lay the hall, with a parlour occupying a crosswing projecting slightly to the rear at the right end. An axial stack between hall and parlour served back-to-back fireplaces. The hall was apparently floored from the beginning and presumably functioned as a kitchen. In the late 17th century the service end was upgraded: the service partition was removed, a new end stack built, a one-room plan extension constructed to the rear containing a new stair, and a service outshot added to that end. No 1 occupies the upgraded service end with the lower passage partition now removed. No 2 occupies the former hall and No 3 occupies the parlour crosswing. The axial stack was rebuilt in the late 19th or early 20th century.

The building stands 2 storeys with attics in the roofspace. The exterior is a tall house with an irregular 5-window front including the left end outshot, comprising 20th century casements with glazing bars. All 3 cottages have 20th century part-glazed panelled doors. Nos 1 and 2 have 19th century reeded doorframes whilst No 3 has a 20th century gabled porch. The tall roof is hipped at both ends and carried down over the outshot to the left. The parlour end has a front gable lower than the main roof, extending a short distance to a rear gable. Some of the framing is exposed to the rear.

The interior preserves the 16th century house very well despite loss of the original stack. Wall framing of large scantling without tension braces is visible in places, though some framing at the front of the parlour section has been replaced. Beams throughout are unusually large and are chamfered with canted step stops. Joists are chamfered with step stops at ground floor level. The hall features a large 4-panel intersecting beam ceiling. Timbers in the chamber over the parlour retain traces of 16th century painted decoration. The original stair at the back of the parlour crosswing is particularly impressive: a newel stair with solid steps rising around an enormous newel post. The roof comprises tie-beam trusses on wall posts with formed jowls, clasped side purlins with queen struts. Unusually, apart from the parlour crosswing roof, the tie beams are set well above the second floor level, leaving room between the attic floor and the wall plate for diamond mullion windows, some of which survive in the attics.

The large hall chamber was divided in the 17th century by a square-panel framed crosswall. The late 17th century fireplace in the former service end is of sandstone ashlar and, although the soffit of the oak lintel has been cut away, displays parlour-quality workmanship. A straight flight stair in the rear block has doorways off its landing with chamfered surrounds with scroll stops. The rear room has a chamfered crossbeam with runout stops. The roof construction of the extensions at this end employs staggered butt purlin construction.

This is a very good 16th century house, larger than most contemporary farmhouses, with some fine 17th century improvements.