Trees Cottage

House. Mid 14th century, late 16th century, 17th century; later alterations, particularly mid- to late 20th century. Walls of coursed flint with brick dressings, some timber framing with brick infill, and 20th-century walling of painted brick. Plain tile roof. Two bays of 14th-century base-cruck/aisled hall survive, originally extending further in each direction, the left end replaced by a late 16th or early 17th-century service bay. Floors and fireplaces were inserted in the late 16th or early 17th century. Now one storey and attic, three bays; windows are mostly 20th-century small-pane wooden casements. Three 3-light windows with a 20th-century board door between those on the right. Two pent-roofed dormers, of 3 and 2 lights, serve the left bays. The roof is half-hipped with a large stack forward of the ridge in line with the door; an end stack stands on the left. A 20th-century single-storey bay on the left and lean-to on the right are not of special interest.

To the rear, the central bay has a glazed door with a probably 18th-century window with stanchions and iron casement with saddle bars and decorative catch on its left; a section of timber framing above, heightened in the 20th century, has a 4-light window and pent-roof. There is a window to each outer bay and a 2-light dormer on the left. The right return shows ends of purlin exposed.

The interior contains 14th-century timbers of large scantling, most chamfered. Three trusses survive; the outer trusses have jowelled wall posts with long arch braces to steeply-cambered tie-beams, while the central truss has a base cruck arch-braced to a similar tie-beam with a decorative central boss. Tie-beams support short crown posts with moulded bases and arch braces to collars and collar purlin. Collared rafters with curved wind-braces are present. Roof timbers are sooted. Chamfered arcade plates and secondary plates/cornices are visible. The left-hand truss contains infill framing including posts, arch-braces, ties from arcade posts to wall posts, and the head of a central chamfered, pointed-arched doorway (part removed).

The central bay has a probably late 16th-century floor; the spine-beam and joists are chamfered with stepped cyma stops. A large stone fireplace has a timber bressumer, chamfered jambs, and brick lining with a niche and former bread oven. The right bay has an inserted floor with a similar spine-beam and a probably early 17th-century fireplace with chamfered stone quoins and a brick 4-centred arch. The left bay has late 16th or early 17th-century joists; the chamfers indicate the position of former partition walls between the central longitudinal corridor and flanking service rooms.