The Salt Box

The Salt Box is a small house dating from around 1700, with alterations and an enlargement in 1924. It is constructed of handmade red brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with a red tile roof. The original design was based on a two-unit plan, now extended to a double-depth layout with an addition to the rear, likely replacing a previous smaller extension. The house is two storeys high and has three bays, with a cellar and attic. The symmetrical front facade features a gabled central section that projects slightly. It includes a plinth and a three-course band above each bay. A new gabled porch, built using matching materials, has a board door and a lunette window above. There are two windows at ground-floor level and three above, all with brick arches. The upper windows on the first floor have recessed panels below the sills, and all are fitted with 18th-century 12-pane sash windows, notable for their thick glazing bars, which are not counter-balanced. The central gable has an oculus, brick coping, kneelers, and a weathervane at the apex. An unusual rainwater head with a prominent horizontal spout is located at the left end of the facade. Both gables have brick coping with kneelers, and chimneys at the rear corners; the coping on the right-hand gable is flat and extends into the chimney stack, creating a “salt-box” profile. A modern conservatory is attached to the left return wall, with a further rear addition built in matching style. The interior features exposed beams and joists on the ground floor, and an exposed timber-framed partition wall to the staircase. The central staircase is dog-legged, winding around a newel post, and has a closed string, square newels, and turned balusters. On the first floor, there is a fireplace with a bolection-moulded wooden surround and a cast-iron grate.