Abbot'S Litten

This is an early 18th-century building on Long Street in Abbot's Litten. It shares design characteristics with The Bank House, but its ashlar masonry is rougher, suggesting an older construction. The building has a two-story, six-window front and is now covered with a red tile roof. A moulded cornice is supported by brackets. The main entrance features stone half-round Tuscan pilasters, an entablature with triglyphs and paterae, and a pediment. A second doorway is on the left and has a semi-circular head with a carved stone head built into the wall above. Sash windows are set in flush frames and retain their original glazing bars. The interior includes 18th-century panelling and fireplace surrounds. Historical records, as detailed in the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (RCHM) for Dorset, Volume 1, page 220, provide further details. The building’s history includes use as premises occupied by Mr Pearson and Rose Cottage, formerly the Castle Hotel, and was once associated with The National Westminster Bank and Old Bank House. The building is part of a group with other buildings and a timber-framed structure located to the rear of No 87 Cheap Street, forming a significant local landmark.