Random Cottage

Random Cottage is a house dating from the early 17th century or earlier, with a substantial rear wing added in the 1970s. The construction combines cob and stone rubble, with whitewashed and plastered exterior surfaces to the rear wing. The roof is thatched, gabled at the ends, and features an end stack to the original wing incorporating a large, semi-circular bread oven with a slate roof. Originally L-shaped, the house is entered through the gable end of the main block, which runs parallel to Millen Lane. The main block is unheated and functions as an entrance hall, containing a staircase opposite the front door. An adjacent, heated room occupies the left (southwest) side. The long rear wing is thought to date to the 1970s, but may incorporate a former detached outbuilding.

The exterior presents an asymmetrical two-window front. A 20th-century thatched porch and front door are positioned projecting to the right, with a 3-light casement window above. A further 3-light window and a small attic window are located to the left, both dating to the 20th century.

Inside, an open fireplace is notable for its chamfered bar step stopped lintel, stone-lined bread oven, and stone jambs. A chamfered stopped half-beam is positioned above the fireplace. The partition between the ground floor rooms has been removed, however the head beam of a plank and muntin screen was preserved; the original doorway’s position abuts the current staircase. The roof of the main block retains two side-pegged jointed cruck trusses with halved collars. One cruck foot, visible from the early wing, shows signs of partial dressing. The thick wall originally separating the main block and the early wing has been replaced with a partition wall.