Court Cottage

Court Cottage is a dwelling dating from the 15th or early 16th century, originally constructed as a hall house with a jointed-cruck frame. It has been altered and extended through various stages from the 17th century to the 20th century.

The building is constructed of random rubble stone with possible cob to the rear and west end. Later brick dressings and brick quoins have been added to the north-east façade. The roof comprises three oak jointed-cruck trusses and some later softwood principal and secondary timbers, all covered in thatch. The south-west and south-east elevations have been rendered. The internal parlour partition is of oak.

The building is rectangular on plan and oriented north-east to south-west.

The principal north-west elevation is an irregular five-bay façade with a large lateral red brick stack and projecting bread oven. The main entrance sits to the left and is covered by a thatched porch. Further left are openings with modern timber casements beneath dormer windows at attic level. To the right of the stack are two tripartite casements which may have been inserted from elsewhere. At the far right is a tiled lean-to porch with modern door and single light casement. The south-west elevation is curved and features a central ground-floor window with two dormer windows above. The rear elevation has two further dormer windows and three two-light casements at ground level; all windows on this elevation are double glazed. To the right are two further stacks, one appearing to be of early 20th-century date and the other late 20th century. The north-east elevation has a half-hipped roof and a central entranceway covered by a small timber porch with tiled roof. A large three-light casement window of 20th-century date sits at first-floor level, with two two-light casements either side of the porch at ground level.

Internally, the principal entrance opens to a central hallway terminating at an inserted rear stair. The principal room to the left of the hallway features a stone fireplace at the south-east corner and has undergone 20th-century alterations. Substantial beams at each end of the room, above the north and south windows, may be the girding beams of the cruck frame. On the south wall at the west end of the south beam is a door-head fragment that aligns with the cross passage. An inserted 20th-century stair in this corner leads to bedrooms on the east side. The room contains a central deep-chamfered beam with broach stops at the east end. A door to the east leads to a narrow room of probable 17th-century date with a substantial modified beam in the end wall, enclosing the rear of the fireplace to the principal room. An opening in the east wall provides access to the 19th-century kitchen extension.

To the right of the entrance hall is the former hall, featuring a substantial oak plank and muntin screen of 15th or 16th-century date, probably originally a partition separating the parlour at the west (upper) end of the house. The screen is oak-pegged and appears in its original position. The ceiling is supported by a large chamfered beam running north to south with a broach stop at the north end. This beam has been repaired at the south end, spliced with another substantial beam and braced with a chamfered timber; this repair is currently failing. A fireplace in the north wall contains a wood-burning stove with bread oven to the rear. An opening in the left end of the screen has an inserted 20th-century door and replacement head, leading into the former parlour.

The former parlour ceiling is supported by a number of substantial timber joists set into deep-chamfered beams running north to south. The beam in the west end wall has a stop at the north end and is truncated at the south where a stair has been inserted. A 20th-century stair occupies the south end of the room, with a cloakroom to the north.

At the top of the stair is an exposed jointed cruck truss at right angles to the main roof trusses. Two bedrooms lead off the landing, both with visible pegged cruck trusses at floor height at either end. The larger bedroom provides access to two further bedrooms, the first with another visible cruck truss. The final bedroom and bathroom at the very east end have been modernised with no visible historic fabric.

Above the inserted ceiling, three cruck trusses, some principal rafters, collars and diagonal ridge pieces show smoke blackening. Other substantial roof timbers show no smoke blackening and may date from the 17th century. Secondary timbers are modern replacements. The eastern third of the roof appears to be of modern construction.