Much In Little

Much-in-Little is a cottage, possibly dating to the 17th century, located in Trevalga. It is constructed of slate stone rubble, partly rendered, with a bitumen-coated rag slate roof, gable ends, and a projecting stone rubble stack on the right-hand gable end. The original plan comprised a single room, with an entrance on the left, now accessed through a circa 19th-century porch which has been partly remodelled in the 20th century. The ground floor room is heated by a gable end stack on the right, and a 19th-century newel staircase rises in a quarter turn to the first floor on the left side of the fireplace. A blocked door on the left-hand side wall originally provided access to the adjoining Rose Cottage. It is possible the rear wall of Rose Cottage may have been part of a further room belonging to Much-in-Little, although the straight joint between the cottages suggests an early 18th-century extension rather than part of the original plan.

The cottage is two storeys high, with a regular single window front. The circa 19th-century porch on the left has been partly remodelled in the 20th century. A 19th-century two-light horizontal sliding sash window is on the right, and a nine-pane top-hung casement is on the first floor within a half dormer with a raking roof. A single-storey lean-to outshot is on the rear, constructed of stone rubble.

The interior features a slate flag floor, and the roughly cut ceiling beams have a slight chamfer. The wide floorboards suggest an earlier 18th-century date. The deep fireplace has a cloam oven with a clay door and a charred timber lintel, partly obscured by a 19th-century mantle shelf. A shallow stone sink with a probably blocked drainhole is in the rear wall, opposite the entrance on the left. The blocked door to Rose Cottage is partly blocked by a cupboard. The 19th-century timber newel stair rises from the front left-hand side of the fireplace in a quarter turn to the unpartitioned room above. The roof is a two-bay structure dating to the 18th century; the principals are halved, lapped, and probably pegged at the apex, although the joint is obscured by two later timber ties. The collar was originally lapped and pegged onto the face of the principals, the pegs later replaced with bolts. The purlins rest on the back of the principals and support roughly cut common rafters, some of which have been replaced. There is evidence to suggest the eaves have been raised. The roof timbers appear blackened, likely due to staining rather than an open hearth. A second truss has been inserted to the left of the central truss. Much-in-Little is a picturesque and unaltered cottage notable for its rare surviving one-room plan.