Glebe Cottages

A block of four cottages, likely dating to the 17th or 18th century, with modernization around 1975. The cottages are constructed of plastered cob on stone rubble footings, with stone rubble stacks topped with 20th-century brick and a thatched roof. They form an irregular, straggling group facing north onto the village square, although two have rear entrances. Each cottage generally comprises two rooms, although the left end room of the main block (No.2) has an end stack and an adjoining single-room block with a gable-end stack parallel to and set forward from the main block, connected by a short crosswing. Cottage No.1 occupies the central portion of the main block between axial stacks, while No.4 occupies the right end room with a rear entrance and a projecting service outshot beneath the continuous main roof. Cottage No.3 is a separate block projecting at right angles to the rear of No.1, featuring a large projecting stack on its west side. All cottages are two storeys high. The main block’s irregular front has seven ground-floor windows and five first-floor windows (one blocked), all 20th-century replacement casements imitating earlier designs. Only one front doorway exists on the main facade (to No.1); the others are to the rear and are 20th-century plank doors, except for No.3. All but No.3 have contemporary thatched hoods. The main block is hipped on the right and gable-ended on the left. The front block (No.2) is gable-ended, and the rear block (No.3) is hipped. Limited interior inspection revealed no early carpentry details, and fireplaces were blocked in the 20th century. The roof was not inspected, but is considered the most likely source of evidence regarding the buildings’ historical development. Nos. 1–4 Glebe Cottages occupy a prominent position in the village centre and are part of a group of listed buildings near the Church of Holy Trinity.