The Corner House The Old Forge

The Corner House and The Old Forge are originally a 15th-century building, likely altered and extended, now divided into two separate dwellings. The construction uses roughly coursed, roughly dressed limestone with a stone slate roof, and features ashlar stacks. The building has an ‘L’ shape, with the far right-hand bay and the rear of The Corner House possibly added in the 17th century. The gabled end of The Corner House projects slightly. The Old Forge extends to the right of a lateral stack. The original 3-bay open hall (now subdivided) retains a mullioned and transomed window.

The Corner House has two storeys, with two 3-light casement windows with leaded panes in the gable end, and matching lights and a projecting stack in the left wall. A 19th-century six-panel door with glazed upper panels is located to the right of the ground floor window. The Old Forge has 1½ storeys, and includes a plinth with a moulded capping. A 3-light, hollow-chamfered stone-mullioned window with a transom is located to the left of the projecting lateral stack. A 20-plank door sits within a wide, part-glazed surround to the right. A half dormer above is lit by a 2-light steel casement with horizontal glazing bars. A single light with a timber lintel and a 3-light steel casement with horizontal glazing bars and a timber lintel are positioned further to the right. A similar window is found on the first floor. The stepped gable end has coping. The gable end of The Corner House features a roll-cross saddle and kneelers with trefoil cusping. Axial and lateral stacks have moulded cappings.

Inside, a large stone fireplace with a flat-chamfered surround originally heated the open hall, located to the left of the mullioned and transomed window, now divided into two by a partition wall. The former 3-bay open hall now has an upper floor inserted, with a solar at the east end, indicated by the position of the half dormer. Arch-braced trusses and two tiers of wind braces are visible. Two bays of the former hall can be seen in The Old Forge, and one bay in The Corner House. A curved spine beam is present in the bay to the right of the front door of The Old Forge. The building is reputed to have served as a rest house for pilgrims travelling to Hailes Abbey, subsequently functioning as an inn, forge, and post office.