Bell's Cottage

Bell’s Cottage is a house dating from the late 17th century, originally built for the Bell family, with alterations made in the 19th and 20th centuries. The house is constructed of whitewashed stone rubble, some sourced from a nearby Roman Wall, and has a Welsh slate roof with coped gables, kneelers, and a central stone chimney stack. It comprises two storeys and three bays. The central windows on both floors have chamfered surrounds; flanking the central windows on the ground floor are 20th-century replacements set within 19th-century openings. Original windows are blocked to the left and right. The upper floor has a three-light chamfered stone mullioned window to the left, and a similar two-light window to the right. A 20th-century door is located in the end wall to the right, likely representing the original entrance from a cross passage. A large 20th-century ground floor window is present in the end wall to the left. Inside the former kitchen, a fireplace beam bears an incised date and inscription, “T.B. 1766 A.” (with another initial partly erased). Other interior features include a heck partition, a spice cupboard with a carved wooden door dated and inscribed “1681 B.E.,” and a beamed oak ceiling. The cottage is situated parallel to and within a few metres of the Roman Wall.