Thorn Cottage, Paxton

Thorn Cottage, located in Paxton, dates back to 1846 and features later additions and alterations. This single-storey, three-bay building is designed in a near L-plan Italianate style and has single-storey extensions at the rear. The structure is made of squared and snecked tooled cream sandstone, with sandstone ashlar dressings that are partly droved, and rubble at the back. It has a base course and overhanging timber bracketed eaves, with narrow quoin strips, stugged quoins, and long and short surrounds around the openings. The windows are round-arched, featuring droved sandstone mullions and bracketed cills. There is also a single-storey, mono-pitched ancillary structure at the rear.

On the southwest (entrance) elevation, there is a modern timber door at the centre, adorned with decorative iron hinges and a small-pane fanlight. To the outer left, there is a tripartite window. The outer right features a gabled projection with a block pedimented tripartite window at the ground level, above which is a shield inscribed with 'Paxton School Erected By W F Home 1846'.

The northwest (side) elevation has a gable end on the right with a tripartite window at the ground level and a round-arched attic light above. There is a projecting wing that is recessed to the outer right, and a round-arched opening in a lean-to addition to the outer left.

On the northeast (rear) elevation, there is a single window in a piended projection that is offset to the right of centre, along with lean-to projections on both the outer left and right.

The southeast (side) elevation features the principal gable end with a tripartite window at the ground level and a round-arched attic light above. There is a lean-to addition that is slightly recessed to the outer right.

The building has small-pane timber glazing, with decorative upper panes in some areas and modern glazing at the rear. The roof is covered with grey slate and has timber bargeboards. There is a corniced two-flue sandstone stack on the southeast side, a brick-built stack on the northeast side, and a single circular chimney.

The interior was not seen in 1999. Additionally, there is a rubble boundary wall that partially encloses the site at the rear.