Vine Cottage

Vine Cottage

Vine Cottage is a timber-framed building of 16th-century origin that has been substantially modified and extended over four centuries. The earliest element, a single bay at the south-west end, dates to the 16th century. Two further bays were added to the north-east in the 17th century. In 1711, the exterior was re-fronted in brick laid in Flemish bond with some black headers. A further bay was added to the north-east side circa 1920, when windows were replaced by casements within existing openings and the interior was refurbished. Later in the 20th century, further brick extensions and a conservatory (dating to the 1970s) were added to the north-west side, neither of which are of special interest.

The original timber-framed structure is now concealed behind the 1711 brickwork re-fronting. The front gables are tile-hung. The roof is tiled with one off-central brick chimneystack of circa 1600 and a further early 20th-century chimneystack on the north-west side.

The principal front faces south-east and features a string course between floors, lower on the south bay. The south bay has a tiled gable, a narrow casement on the first floor and a taller casement on the ground floor with elliptical brick arches. The entrance is a 20th-century brick porch with hipped tiled roof and studded plank door. The two adjoining bays to the north-east have casement windows under elliptical arches on the ground floor. A Sun fire plaque, numbered 127326, is fixed on the first floor. The 1920s end bay on this side projects slightly, has a tile-hung gable and features a four-light casement on each floor. The south-west side shows continuation of 18th-century brickwork to the southern half with a string course; the northern half brickwork is of later date. Rafter feet are visible to the southern part. There are two 20th-century flat-roofed dormers and a 20th-century gabled porch. The north-east side, forming the return of the 1920s addition, has two hipped dormers breaking through the eaves and a tall central external chimneystack with two small windows in the base. The north-west or rear elevation shows the gable return of the 1920s addition, to which a 1970s conservatory has been added. Attached to the west are 20th-century additions with irregularly-spaced casements with top opening lights.

The interior is accessed through the porch into a lobby with exposed ceiling beams, 1920s panelling and a contemporary bronze plaque depicting horse riders. The south-western ground-floor room has an open fireplace with a wide wooden bressumer featuring a 3-inch deep chamfer, a spine beam of approximately one and a half inches and floor joists without chamfers. Some beams retain hooks of handmade iron nails. The adjoining room to the north-east is a dining hall occupying two bays, with two axial beams chamfered to one and a half inches with lambs tongue stops and similar floor joists. The fireplace was remodelled in the 1920s and the walls have 1920s panelling. The 1920s eastern room has a brick fireplace and ceiling beams, both dating to that period. Access to the first floor is by a half-winder staircase within the central ground-floor room.

The south-western bedroom is lower than the others. Its north-west wall displays an exposed gable end with tie beam, principal rafters, two adjoining central angled posts and a mid-post below. Its other walls show exposed wall plates, and the south-eastern wall has a tie beam. The upper part of the original chimneystack is visible in this room, although the fireplace is a brick and tiled 1920s replacement. A large cupboard beside it retains original pintle hinges, although the door is 1920s. To the north-east are two further bedrooms of unequal size. The partition wall between them has a tie beam, and wall plates are visible in both. The north-east end wall of the eastern bedroom shows a visible tie beam and wall plates, and this was the original external wall. On the reverse side is a date stone of 1711 recording when the building was re-fronted in brickwork, constructed of specially shaped bricks forming the figures. Original rafters are visible to the south part of the building, and the top of the angled posts and some original rafters of the 16th-century south-west bay have been photographed in a recent structural report.