The Cottage

The Cottage is an Arts and Crafts house dating to the early 20th century, built in a self-consciously picturesque English vernacular style. The house has a strong character due to its almost sculptural forms, created by the painted brickwork and complex thatched roof with decorative capping. The asymmetrical composition is highlighted by a gabled cross wing to the west.

The front, or north-facing elevation, features the cross wing as an advanced right-hand gable, with an entrance set within a thatched porch in the angle formed with the main range to the left. A projecting tall lateral chimney is a dominant feature, tied back to the roof by a thatched gablet. The roof of the main range slopes low to either side of the east gable return, forming a catslide over the left-hand bay of the front elevation. Windows throughout are metal casements with diamond leaded lights. Single-light windows are located to either side of the stack at ground floor, illuminating the inglenook within; a similar window appears as a swept dormer above. The cross wing has a similar ground-floor window and a low three-light window in its gable, which is clad at its apex with waney boarding. A secondary entrance is located in the return elevation of the cross wing, alongside windows of two and three lights. A tall side wall stack marks the junction of a kitchen outshut beyond, featuring a waney-boarded apex to its north-facing gable, and a thatched roof curved round a hipped south gable, which has a renewed three-light window overlooking the garden.

The garden elevation is dominated by the steep gable of the cross wing and the sweep of the main roof line down over the right-hand bay. The gabled wing has a four-light window to the ground floor and a stepped three-light window in its waney-boarded gable apex. A doorway alongside the wing (aligned with the main entrance) leads to a battened door with a diamond glazed panel, and two-by-three-light windows feature in the principal room alongside. Upper windows are aligned with the lower windows, but at varying heights, with a four-light window on each floor in the gabled return.

The plan features a narrow through-passage from which stairs rise from the rear. A small study and dining room are located to the right of the passage; a kitchen is beyond the dining room, and a large principal room to the left. The internal walls are exposed painted brick, and robust structural timber, including exposed, undecorated beams carrying joists directly supporting floorboards, is visible. Rustic joinery is present, including original doors. The dining room has a corner fireplace of rustic brick and unglazed tilework, adorned with Delf tiles; the principal room is dominated by an inglenook fireplace utilising similar rustic materials, including built-in brick benches.