Causeway Cottage And Tithe Cottage

Causeway Cottage and Tithe Cottage, High Street, Billingshurst

A timber-framed house of late medieval date, possibly from the 14th century, later subdivided into cottages and subsequently restored in the 20th century. Originally a Wealden house with a single open hall, cross passage, service end to the south and solar to the north. A 16th-century chimneystack was inserted and the open hall was ceiled over during that period. The building was further subdivided into cottages during the later 18th century.

The structure is timber-framed with rendered infill, though the west side of No. 63 has a rendered first floor above a brick ground floor. The roof is tiled, gabled to the south and hipped with a gablet to the north. No. 65 has an off-centre ridge brick chimneystack. No. 63 retains an 18th-century external brick chimneystack and a 19th-century brick chimneystack in its rear slope.

The west elevation of No. 63 displays a rendered first floor with two 20th-century casement windows with wooden shutters, and a ground floor underbuilt in brick containing two 20th-century 12-pane sash windows, a 20th-century doorcase with flat weatherhood and a door with six fielded panels. The west elevation of No. 65 shows two exposed timber-framed bays with wallplate. The northern bay displays the curved braces of the original recessed centre of the open hall, now filled in with thin 18th-century framing on the first floor. The southern bay shows a midrail and curved downbrace to the upper floor. Above the ground floor is a section of approximately six courses of stretcher-bond brickwork, with a deep plinth below. A 20th-century penticed tiled porch has been added to the ground floor. The south wall is now concealed externally by a later building. The north wall retains exposed framing with cornerposts, the western one jowled, and a curved downbrace, although much is concealed behind a large 18th-century external brick chimneystack with English-bond brickwork. The rear elevation includes a late 18th-century lean-to extension. Fenestration is irregular throughout, predominantly casements, with some sash windows to No. 63.

Internally, the north ground floor room of No. 65 contains an inserted 16th-century ceiling with one-inch chamfers. A roll-moulded dais beam in the north wall where it abuts No. 63 may date from the 14th century; although now plastered, original panelling is reported to survive beneath. An open fireplace with wooden bressumer occupies this wall. Unusually, another dais beam appears at the south end of the north room. The south room retains an open fireplace with wooden bressumer, and original medieval ceiling beams and some studs to the south wall remain visible. On the first floor, the north end wall of the hall displays a curved downbrace, corner posts and wallplate. The wallplate and studs to the east wall are exposed, and there is a smoke-blackened tie beam. The roof structure of No. 65 features a square crownpost with head and foot braces and smoke-blackened rafters. A section of wattle and daub adjoining the crownpost has combed pargetting. An 18th-century lath and plaster partition separates Nos. 63 and 65. No. 63 was not inspected internally.

The building has group value with St Mary's Church and other listed buildings in the High Street.