Spital Gate And Attached Cottage

This is a late 12th-century gatehouse with an attached cottage, restored in the 19th century. The gatehouse and cottage are built of roughly squared limestone rubble with stone slate roofs, and have stone stacks. The gatehouse is rectangular, with the cottage attached to its right, forming an irregular plan.

The gatehouse has a large, elliptical archway on the left with a triple-chamfered surround, featuring a roll-moulded hood that extends as a string course to the left and a shorter section to the right. A round-headed pedestrian gateway is to the right, also with a chamfered reveal and roll-moulded hood. A pair of studded plank doors are within the large opening, likely dating to the 17th century, with later repairs. They are of harr-hung construction and possibly originally harr-hung, with extended ledges and shaped braces, and wrought-iron strap hinges. A similar studded plank door, also with wrought-iron strap hinges, is in the smaller pedestrian entrance.

The rear of the cottage, to the right, is a single-storey range with a gable facing left. It has a two-light chamfered stone mullion window with a hoodmould. A plank door with a Tudor arched head, applied moulding in vertical panels, a chamfered reveal, and a hoodmould is also present.

The rear elevation of the gatehouse mirrors the front, featuring a similar elliptical archway and a dormer window with a two-light casement. The cottage displays a single gable, a single-storey and attic one-window range. A two-light chamfered stone mullion window with 19th-century iron casements and hoodmould is on the ground floor, with a similar window in the gable above. A ground floor door with a Tudor-arched head and applied moulding forming three vertical panels and a hoodmould is on the left side.

The cottage’s interior has 20th-century alterations, including a 20th-century staircase. The front ground floor rooms feature a chamfered beam with step-stop. A re-used door with six raised-and-fielded panels separates the front and rear rooms. The roof structure of the cottage appears to be 17th century with later repairs apparent upon partial inspection.