Prudence Cottage And Modesty Cottage

Prudence Cottage and Modesty Cottage are a pair of cottages located on the south side of Hatherleigh High Street. They date from the 17th century, with an addition from the 18th century. The cottages feature plastered and rendered cob walls and have gable-ended thatch roofs. There is a projecting rendered rubble stack with a brick shaft at the left gable end and a brick stack at the right-hand end.

In terms of layout, No. 28 has a one-room plan with a rear wing, while No. 26A has a two-room plan, with the right-hand room heated and also featuring a rear wing, likely from the 18th century.

The exterior of No. 28, on the left, has an asymmetrical front with one window, featuring late 20th-century leaded pane two and three-light casements. The ground floor's three-light window has arched lights, and there is a 20th-century plank door to the right. No. 26A has a two-window front with horizontal sliding 12-pane sashes from the late 18th or early 19th century on the first floor, along with low rails in front of them. The ground floor has 20th-century two and three-light casements, and a 20th-century glazed door is located at the center under a flat doorhood.

Inside No. 26A, there is an open fireplace with a chamfered and stopped wooden lintel. The first floor reveals the feet of straight principal rafters, but there is no loft access. No. 28 features a 17th-century chamfered ceiling beam with straight-cut stops. It also lacks loft access, but heavy purlins are visible on the first floor, indicating an early roof structure.