Lancaster Cottage and York Cottage

A pair of cottages, likely dating from the mid to late 17th century, with later renovations around 1980, and York Cottage partly rebuilt after a fire around 1986. The cottages are constructed of whitewashed local stone rubble, with stone rubble stacks topped with 19th and 20th century brickwork and a thatched roof. Originally, they may have formed a 3-room plan farmhouse, with a central heated room backed by a southern room in Lancaster Cottage and a similar arrangement in York Cottage. An early 20th century photograph shows former barns at each end of the building, presumably later converted to domestic use. Lancaster Cottage has a narrower end room. York Cottage was substantially rebuilt following the 1986 fire. The two-storey front has an irregular 5-window arrangement with a mix of 19th and 20th century casement windows. A pair of earliest windows on the first floor have rectangular panes of leaded glass, while the 1986 rebuilding features aluminium-framed casements without glazing bars. The doorway to Lancaster Cottage is left of centre, with a 20th century glazed door, possibly the original farmhouse entrance. York Cottage’s doorway, located at the right end in the rebuilt section, features a 20th century door with a matching thatched porch. The interior of York Cottage was largely renewed after the fire and lacks early carpentry features. Lancaster Cottage was not inspected, but neatly chamfered spine beams with run-out stops were observed in the main rooms.