Summary

This is a stone and thatched cottage consisting of a living kitchen at one end, and an originally unheated parlour at the other, all dating probably to the mid 16th century.  A building likely to be typical of a modest smallholder’s dwelling house in much of North Buckinghamshire at the end of the medieval period.

Description

The cottage is built of stone, with a thatched roof, single storey and attic.  There are large stone quoins at the northern corner.

The building was originally only of two bays, with the entrance to the primary kitchen bay at the NE end.  The large gable-end fireplace in this room has a bricked up oven and remains of a copper.  The long fire lintel is now covered over. 

The second bay was an inner unheated room at the SW end.

At present, a stair and bathroom occupy the centre, with a sitting room with an added fireplace in the former parlour on the end gable.

A large, 250 x 200+ mm  spine beam runs through the cottage, table scarfed at the centre, and having deep chamfers with elongated ogee stops.  The house spans 4.73m.

Two trusses support the roof, consisting of principal rafters carried on stub tie beams on the 500mm thick walls.  The bedrooms are ceiled at collar level, so the apex of either is not visible.

The cottage is reputed to date from 1540,  The detail with stub ties suggests an early date, perhaps circa mid-late 16th century.