Oak Cottage and Thatch Cottage

The property comprises two houses, Oak Cottage and Thatch Cottage, dating to the 17th century or earlier, with 20th-century renovations. It is constructed of stone rubble, with Thatch Cottage’s front plastered and both having thatched roofs, gabled at the ends. The main range has a lateral stack projecting to the front, featuring a bread oven and a tall stone shaft, while the rear wing has a separate stone shafted stack. The building originally followed a ‘T’ plan, though the precise internal layout is not fully known, as only the interior of Oak Cottage was inspected. The front range likely has a three-room plan, with two rooms (and possibly a passage) to the right, comprising Thatch Cottage. While few original features are visible in the left-hand section of Oak Cottage, the rear wing contains a circa mid-17th century kitchen. It is thought the front range is of earlier origin, but has been rebuilt at least at the left end in the 18th or 19th century. The front elevation is asymmetrical with a 1:2 window arrangement; Oak Cottage lies to the left. A 20th-century front door gives direct access to the right-hand room of Oak Cottage, while a door to Thatch Cottage is situated to the left of the lateral stack. Oak Cottage has two windows with 20th-century casements, and Thatch Cottage has plastic windows set within embrasures of differing sizes. The rear elevation of Oak Cottage features pigeon holes under the eaves. Inside Oak Cottage, the rear wing retains a 17th-century hollow-chamfered crossbeam with exposed joists, a large open fireplace with a chamfered timber lintel, and a bread oven. The front range is largely modernised. The roof of the rear wing includes the remains of a side-pegged jointed cruck truss, cut off below collar level. The property has group value with Riverside and The White Hart.