Arlington Row

Arlington Row in Bibury is a group of weavers' houses, originally a wool store dating back to the late 14th century. It was later converted in the late 17th century, with further additions in the late 17th and early 18th century. The building was repaired in 1929 by the Royal Society of Arts and restored in the early 1970s by The National Trust, and is now owned by that organisation.

The structure is built of random rubble limestone, with ashlar and rubble chimneys and a stone slate roof. The earliest part of the building is single-storey with an attic, while two-storey houses were added at each end; one to the east and two to the west. Various single-storey rear additions have been made, some with attics. The front features low eaves to the original part, with four half gables, three eaves-mounted gables, and two 20th-century hipped roof dormers. A grouping of three half gables is located to the left, with one containing a two-light recessed chamfered casement, and the others featuring leaded timber casements with timber lintels. The ground floor windows are a mixture of leaded casements, and doorways are paired with timber lintels and plank doors at number 3. A stone flat-arched doorway is found at number 5, and a timber lintel at number 6. Eaves-mounted gables and hipped roof dormers are present at numbers 5 and 6, all with leaded casements. A two-light recessed chamfered casement with a hoodmould is visible at numbers 6 and 7. Ridge chimneys, mostly rebuilt in the 20th century with plain caps, are present, except one ashlar chimney with a moulded cap. Original gable end coping with a trefoil enriched apex saddle is partially visible at the west end. A 17th-century addition to the east has higher eaves and an upper-floor timber casement, with a blocked former doorway to the ground floor now containing a small leaded fixed-light. The 17th-century additions to the west step up the slope, each house featuring a half gable and leaded timber casement fenestration with timber lintels. The rear of the building has numerous gabled additions of various dates, and mixed fenestration, mostly timber casements with timber lintels. Coped gable ends are more easily seen on the rear of the original building.

The interior has been extensively subdivided with dividing walls containing fireplaces and spiral staircases that do not align with the roof trusses. Many of the houses follow a cross-passage plan. Most of the trusses are raised cruck type, with arched braced collars, one cruck blade consisting of three pieces scarfed together. Since being “discovered” by William Morris, Arlington Row has been regarded as the most picturesque group of buildings in the Cotswolds, enhanced by the undulating roofline caused by the weakening of an original roof structure, as well as the addition of irregular 17th-century gables and a location beside the mill stream.