The Old Forge

The Old Forge is a cottage dating from the late 15th century, with significant enlargement in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and undergoing restoration in April 1983. It is constructed of random rubble and cob, with a thatched roof and stone stacks. Originally an open hall house, it was later divided with a central cross passage and a further room added, developing into a three-cell plan. The cottage is approximately six bays wide and has a south-facing aspect. Windows are mostly 20th-century diamond-pane casements, with a single light opening in the left-end bay lighting a fireplace. A projecting wing is located in the second bay from the left, and a single-story extension is on the right. The main entrance has been moved to the north elevation.

Inside, a stud and panel screen, partially renewed, divides the right side of the cross passage. A chamfered beam with unusual run-out stops is visible on the right side of this screen, likely dating from the mid-17th century. A further chamfered bressummer beam runs across the east end of the cottage, forming a large fireplace bay originally lit from the west, now from the south. A chimney backs onto the left of the cross passage, and a stud and panel screen divides this space from the adjacent room. Four pairs of cruck roof timbers remain, some exposed with smoke blackening, along with one pair of wind braces.