Ducksmoor Cottage

Ducksmoor Cottage is a mid-17th century cottage with alterations from the 19th and 20th centuries, and a 20th century addition to the rear. It is constructed of rendered granite rubble walls, with gable end chimney stacks built up in brick, the left-hand one projecting with offsets. The roof is thatched with gable ends. The original plan likely comprised two main rooms, one larger than the other, and a small central room which may have been an unheated service room or a passage. Both main rooms are heated by gable end stacks, each with a newel staircase rising beside the fireplace; the left-hand staircase is of stone. A 20th century wing provides access to the house. The front has an asymmetrical four-window arrangement, with a door to the right of centre. Late 19th century two-light casements with glazing bars are set within small openings, possibly original. A single-light casement window is located centrally on the ground floor. A 20th century rendered porch, with a gabled thatched roof and a stable-type door, is situated to the right of centre. At the rear are small single-light stair windows and a flat-roofed single-storey extension. The interior remains relatively unspoiled. The left-hand room features a heavy cross beam, chamfered with bar and hollow step stops, along with a decorated wooden fireplace lintel of the same style. The right-hand room has two roughly chamfered cross beams; the fireplace is blocked but a section of chamfered wooden lintel is visible. The roof is likely original, containing substantial principal rafters and collars halved on. Historical records indicate that in 1589, the site was a plot of land named Minnerd; a 1748 survey describes it as a separate tenement, and in 1718 it was known as Minnerd Plat, with a tenanted cottage, supporting the architectural dating. The cottage retains a very unspoiled facade and a largely traditional interior.