Royal Oak Cottages

Royal Oak Cottages is a row of three cottages, now serving as an office, a shop, and two cottages, dating from the 18th century. The building incorporates at least part of an earlier structure and has undergone alterations. The exterior features some internal timber framing, with walls made of red brick in Flemish bond, including some burnt headers, and a red tile roof.

The layout is rectangular and double-depth, divided into two halves: the office and shop on the left (No. 22, which was likely originally a single dwelling) and the cottages (Nos. 18 and 20) on the right. The building is two storeys high and has five first-floor windows. The right half has a three-course band, while the left half features a continuous fascia board at the same level, possibly covering a band. Nos. 18 and 20 are single-fronted cottages with adjoining halls and have coupled doorways (the surrounds have been rebuilt). They feature 12-pane unhorned sash windows with gauged brick heads at the ground floor, and a 9-pane and a 12-pane sash at the first floor (the latter having 4 panes in the upper section and 8 in the lower). No. 22 on the left has modern shop fronts at the ground floor and three similar 12-pane sashes above. The roof is half-hipped at the left end, with a chimney at the centre of the ridge and a gable chimney at the junction with the side of the Royal Oak Public House to the right.

Inside, the gable wall of No. 18 features close-studded timber framing, which is now only visible in the wing of the Royal Oak. No. 18 contains exposed wall-posts, a tie-beam, and wall-plates that seem to extend into No. 20, which also appears to have a timber frame in its partition wall (though this property was not inspected internally). The interior of the shop in No. 22 has been completely remodelled. No. 22 is included for its group value.