The Black Dog

The Black Dog is a former inn, now a public house, dating from the early and late 17th century, with later alterations. The building is constructed of brick-nogged timber frame on a stone plinth to the left, with painted Flemish-bond brickwork to the right, and has a tiled roof. It comprises a four-window, two-storey block to the right, and a gabled, two-and-a-half-storey cross wing to the left. The left gable of the long wing faces the street, overlooking open space. On the left gable are two-panel high framing to the ground floor and three to the first floor. A four-pane casement window is located to the left of centre on the ground floor, with the framing to its right replaced by brickwork. Straight braces extend from the corner posts to the bressumer below the first floor; a four-pane casement sits to the left of the centre, within the remains of a former central window position. A small four-pane window punctuates the gable, and the apex features two collars and curved V struts. The left return is timber-framed.

To the right of the main block, a brick plinth and rusticated quoins are visible. A double, three-panel door is positioned to the left, accompanied by a two-light fanlight with diamond-pattern glazing bars and a flat, plain shell hood supported on shaped brackets. To the right, a three-light mullion and transom window sits above a cambered head, replacing three original open or blind openings that had flat, rubbed brick arches, which survive. Adjacent to this are a similar door and hood, and a blind opening with a rubbed brick arch, followed by a four-light mullion and transom window, with a flat head. All windows in the brick block have leaded lights. The first floor features a plain brick string course, which is cut by the hood mouldings above the doorways, stopping short of the corners. To the left is a single-light transomed window, and to the right are three two-light mullion and transom windows, interspersed with one or two blind openings, all with rubbed brick arches. A modillion eaves cornice runs along the top, and the roof is hipped with lead hips. A large, star-plan brick chimney is on the left, extending back towards the cross wing. The right return displays a plinth and string course matching the main front, with two two-light mullion and transom windows on each floor, again with rubbed brick arches. A brick chimney sits on the right just behind the eaves.

Inside, the ceiling of the front room in the timber-framed wing is divided into six sections by beams, exhibiting a double-ovolo profile on the main beams and a single ovolo on the cross beams. A corner fireplace is located in the right-hand ground-floor room facing the road, featuring a bayleaf pulvinated frieze and an eared surround.