Smugglers Cottage

STEYNING

957/0/10029 CHURCH STREET 10-JAN-02 Smugglers Cottage

GV II

House. C16, C18 and refurbished c1927. Timberframed, the two northern bays with exposed C16framing with curved tension braces and plastered infill, underbuilt in in the C18 in flint, with flint east gable with remains of lacing courses, C19 brown brick in Sussex bond to north west, late C18 brick in English bond to south east gable and south west ground floor and C20 tile-hanging to south west. Gables and dormers have C20 weatherboarding. C20 tiled roof, replacing thatch, with brick chimneystack to eastern gable and external roughcast and brick chimneystack to south west. One storey and attics, irregular fenestration, mainly C20 windows with metal casements but eastern gable preserves small C18 leaded light window which was used to warn smugglers by the river that excise men were patrolling. Plan is hard to read but western part is separately framed from the eastern part and appears to be the remaining bay of an earlier building with a C16 addition to the west, both altered in the C18. INTERIOR: Western end has a chamfered beam with triangular stops and ceiling beams, open fireplace with wooden bressumer, three spice alcoves, blocked arch to former breadoven and partition wall to central bay which has diagonal braces. The central bay retains some ceiling beams after the insertion of the C20 staircase. The eastern bay has an C18 partition, C18 beam with one inch chamfer and open fireplace with wooden bressumer. The first floor has an C18 partition and rough hewn beam. Roof has rafters without ridgepiece, some of which are roughhewn and probably of C18 date with some possible reused smoke-blackened rafters. HISTORY: Deeds go back as far as 1780. When the thatch was removed earlier in the C20 an old rapier was found thrust up the eaves.

[ H M and U E Lacey "The Timber-framed Buildings of Steyning." 1974. P171.]