Gay'S House

Gay's House is a detached house built in the late 18th century and restored in the 20th century. It is constructed from limestone ashlar and features a hipped double Roman tile roof, which includes a 20th-century dormer and a central ridge stack. The house has a double depth plan and stands two storeys high with an attic and basement. The front has a two-window range, while the rear has three storeys and a three-window range. The exterior is characterized by a high rebuilt coped parapet, a modillion cornice, a stepped frieze, a platband, and a plinth. The windows are horned six-over-six pane sash windows, and the entrance to the left has been blocked and is now part of a 20th-century rubblestone wall. The returns of the house each have one window per storey, and those on the right feature early 19th-century balconettes with ogees between the rails. The interior has not been inspected, but a previous description noted a panel on the first floor that is painted over but still partially legible, stating: "Asylum for teaching young ladies domestic work." Historically, this house served as the dower house for the Rivers-Gay family and is believed to have undergone alterations in the 1770s. An early map from around 1770 indicates an extension to the north, possibly a porch and a courtyard.