The Silkhouse

The Silkhouse is a building that has been converted into three cottages, likely dating from the early 18th century. It is constructed of rubblestone and features a thatched roof with brick stacks. The structure is single-storey with an attic and has a total of twelve windows. There are three planked doors, six three-light casements, and four two-light casements, some of which are located in blocked doorways. The building includes twelve hipped attic dormers with two-light casements, and the two right bays are later additions, probably from the late 18th century.

On the right side, there is an attached extension made of rubblestone and brick, which has a planked door and a steel casement. The rear of the building has three single-storey wings, all with thatched roofs; the middle wing dates from the late 19th century, while the other two are from the mid-20th century.

The interior has been altered and remodelled by the National Trust in the mid-20th century. The west cottage, known as Nos 69 and 70, features a late 18th-century fireplace with a moulded surround and dentil cornice, along with some planked doors. The middle cottage, Nos 71 and 72, has two blocked open fireplaces with timber lintels. The building has a twelve-bay tie beam roof with a two-bay west addition. It was converted from a Silkhouse into six cottages in 1849 by the Hoares of Stourhead House, as noted in the Stourhead Annals.