Brakes Cottage

Brakes Cottage is a detached cottage that likely has origins dating back to the 14th or 15th century, with modifications made in the 16th century. It is constructed from local stone rubble, with some areas featuring colourwashed brick that may replace or line cob, and one section that is rendered. The cottage has a thatched roof with plain gables and brick chimney stacks. It is a single storey building with an attic and consists of four bays. The windows are horizontal-bar casements, except for bay 1, which has a small-pane single-light casement. The other bays feature 3, 3, and 1 lights, with a 3-light window above bay 2 and a 5-light window above bay 3. To the right of bay 2, there is a 20th-century boarded door in a new frame, accompanied by a timber porch with a single bracket. The west gable has 20th-century windows, while the east gable may have cob at the bottom, with an exposed frame truss and rendered panels set well back, revealing parts of a cruck frame. Inside, there are remains of another cruck frame that has been adapted to a jointed cruck type, along with post-and-truss bays. A partition made of wattle and daub survives, featuring a shouldered head doorframe that is chamfered on one side. The wide central fireplace has a projecting oven and a later-pattern smoke hood, with a very high lintel supported by posts.