Dawson Cottages

1801/0/10038 17-JAN-05

WONERSH LORDSHILL ROAD Shamley Green Dawson Cottages

II

Originally one house, later subdivided to form agricultural workers' cottages. Early C17 timberframed house of three bays, refronted and extended to the east in the later C18 and refenestrated, mainly within the existing openings circa 1945. Timberframed, ground floor refronted in red brick, first floor hung with alternate courses of plain and curved tiles. Rear or east elevation entirely of brick in Flemish bond. Steeply pitched hipped roof now with early C20 tiles and off central brick chimneystack. Further brick external chimneystack to north. Two storeys; three windows to west elevation. Mid C20 metal-framed casements. Plan form probably originally lobby entrance. EXTERIOR: West or entrance front has brick modillion cornice. Most windows are in C18 window surrounds, cambered to ground floor, except for right side ground floor window. The original entrance was probably in line with the chimney but is now blocked. Left side C19 gabled porch with tiled roof, wooden supports and brick lower wall. South elevation has one window and two doorcases, one a mid C20 porch. East elevation has a gabled dormer, ground floor windows with cambered head linings and plinth. North elevation has C18 external chimneystack in Sussex bond brickwork. INTERIOR: Central ground floor room has a spine beam with one inch chamfer and lambs tongue stops and exposed floor joists. The northern room has a spine beam and square floor joists and a winder staircase with plank door to the east. The mid C20 brick fireplace is inserted within a wider C18 opening. The southern ground floor room has no visible framing and a mid C20 brick fireplace but the original C17 chimneystack adjoins and there is probably a wide open fireplace behind it. There is a further winder staircase with plank door to the southern end of the property. The first floor has some boxed in beams to the northern and central rooms, a C19 wooden fireplace with cast iron firegrate to the northern room and the central room retains old elm floorboards. Little of the wall frame to the first floor is visible except for traces of the top of the wallplate but it probably survives embedded within the wall. The original roof structure survives intact with queenposts, purlins and original rafters with inserted ridgepiece. Additional timbers were added later for strengthening. The roof was extended outwards in the C18 with additional rafters. HISTORY: A building with the same footprint is shown on the 1640 Montagne map and is also shown on the 1841 Tithe Map. The cottages were purchased from the Birtley estate in 1945.

A substantially intact early-C17 timberframed house retaining a substantial amount of original fabric behind an attractive later refronting.