Hutchings Ponderosa

Hutchings and Ponderosa are two adjoining estate cottages, likely originally built as one house, with origins dating back to the 17th century or earlier, though they have undergone later alterations. The cottages are creamwashed and rendered, likely constructed from cob on stone footings, and feature a thatched roof with a plain ridge, gabled at the left end and hipped at the right end. There is a stack on the left end and an axial stack at the rear wing, both with brick shafts.

The plan is L-shaped, with a single-depth main range that is probably two rooms wide. Hutchings, on the left, has a rear right wing that is at right angles to Ponderosa. The layout was not fully clear during the survey in 1987 as only Hutchings was inspected, but a 17th-century window frame on the ground floor of Ponderosa suggests that the building may be even older.

The exterior is two storeys high with an asymmetrical three-window front, where the thatch eaves are eyebrowed over two first-floor windows. There are 19th or 20th-century plank front doors on both the left and right, each with a thatched porch hood. To the left of the front door of Ponderosa is a 17th-century two-light window with a chamfered timber frame, along with two other ground floor windows, both of which are 20th-century casements with square leaded panes. The first floor has two small pane timber casements from the 19th or 20th century. The right side of Ponderosa features one first-floor three-light 20th-century casement with square leaded panes and two ground floor two-light casements.

In a small rough-cobbled yard to the left of Hutchings, there is a 19th-century cast iron pump, although the handle is missing, and this is included in the listing. The interior of Hutchings was inspected, revealing a front room with exposed carpentry, likely a 20th-century replacement, and an open fireplace with a plain timber lintel and a bread oven. The roof has not been inspected but may contain early timbers of interest. A further inspection of Ponderosa might be necessary to confirm the dating of the building. The cottages are located in a remarkable village known for its cob and thatch architecture.