Church Town

A cottage dating to the late 16th century, with extensions added in the late 17th or early 18th century and subsequent alterations. The construction is primarily roughcast cob with slate-stone, and features a corrugated-iron roof, with a thatch section to the left, a hipped front, and a half-hipped rear to the rear range. The building is arranged in an L-shape, with a range aligned northwest to southeast, possibly originally extending further northwest, and a late 17th or early 18th century addition set at a right angle to the rear on the right.

The northwest to southeast range has a 20-paned glazing bar sash window directly below eaves on the left side, with an 18th-century three-light multi-paned casement (with L-hinges) below it. A 19th-century casement window is positioned to the right of a four-panel door (with glazed top panes) and an open hip-roofed porch with L-hinges on the right side, centered. An external end stack is located on the left. The return side (mostly the rear range) has a small window directly below the eaves on the left. The right part includes a shallow lean-to with a horned 16-paned glazing bar sash directly below the eaves, and a 19th-century casement with L-hinges beneath. A half-glazed door under a hood is situated in an angled break with the main wall. A stepped external end stack with a red brick top rises alongside a dairy. The north side of the rear range has a 16-panel glazing bar sash directly below the eaves and a fixed-light window on the ground floor.

Internally, the left ground-floor room of the northwest to southeast range displays chamfered joists. The rear range incorporates a short section of moulded plank and muntin screen immediately to the right of the entrance. This screen was formerly continuous, turning at a right angle to the northwest to southeast range, and originally formed a passage. A plank door with strap hinges at the passage’s end leads to a staircase. A ledged door provides access to the dairy. The left part of the northwest to southeast range has a collar truss roof in two bays; the left truss is a few feet from the end wall, suggesting the range originally extended further northwest. Purlins and straw thatch coverings remain visible below the raised eaves. The southeastern part of the range appears contemporary with the rear range, which also possesses a collar truss roof. Timber renewal and eaves raising occurred around 1940 when the corrugated-iron roof replaced the thatch.