Summary
Late C16/early C17 timber-framed cottage with alterations and extensions of the later C17 or C18, C19 and C20.
Reasons for Designation
* Historic interest: the later C17/C18 extension helps to demonstrate the evolution of domestic vernacular architecture in England.;
* Intactness: as a substantially intact late-C16/early-C17 timber-framed cottage, with later C17/C18 extension, that retains the majority of its structural historic fabric.
History
Brookside Cottage dates from the late C16/early C17 and was subsequently extended by a single bay at its south-eastern end, probably later in the C17 or C18. In the C19 the cottage is documented as being in three occupancies, probably as agricultural labourers' cottages, but had reverted back to single occupancy in the early C20 when the south-eastern end was further extended by a single bay. A cross-wing extension was added to the rear in the 1960s and in the 1990s the cottage was internally remodelled and a large conservatory, replacing a smaller conservatory, was added to the rear.
Details
MATERIALS: part timber-framed with rendered wattle-and-daub and brick infill and part painted limestone rubble and brick, all on a tall plinth of limestone rubble, under a steeply-pitched thatched roof. The stacks are of coursed limestone rubble with the upper sections rebuilt in brick.
PLAN: aligned north-west to south-east, with the principal elevation facing south-west onto Peppercorn Lane, the cottage is of a roughly rectangular plan, comprising two-bays of late C16/early C17, extended by a single bay in late C17/C18, and a further bay in C20. To the rear is a late-C20 addition
EXTERIOR: the two left-hand bays of the cottage are formed of two exposed late-C16/early-C17 box-framed panels running from sill to wall-plate, with short straight braces in the upper corners. In the later C17/C18 a single-bay addition was added to the right-hand end to which a projecting entrance porch was added to the front in the C19. A further single-bay addition was added to the right-hand end in the early C20, the entrance porch being partially rebuilt and extended at the same time. Windows are mainly mid-C20 metal-framed casements. On the ground floor, the late-C16/early-C17 range contains a 2-light casement separated from a large 3-light casement by a former doorway that was blocked in the late-C20 with a smaller 3-light timber casement. To the right, the left-hand return wall of the entrance porch contains the main entrance to the cottage with a plank and batten door with moulded fillets and a small glazed window. The upper storey contains two eyebrow dormers; that to the late-C16/early-C17 range with a 3-light casement and that to the later C17/C18 extension with a pair of 2-light casements. To the right-hand return, which is formed of the early-C20 addition, there is a 1:3:1-light canted bay window under a thatched hood to the ground floor and a 3-light casement above. A rendered limestone rubble external stack, the upper section rebuilt in brick, stands at the left-hand gable end to which there is a 2-light casement on the right-hand side; the original right-hand gable end stack was enclosed by the later C17/C18 extension but its upper section, now rebuilt in brick, is visible as a ridge stack. At the rear, a late-C20 half-hipped gabled cross wing projects from the right-hand end of the late-C16/early-C17 range whilst a late-C20 conservatory has been built against the remainder of this range and part of the later C17/C18 bay. To the ground floor, from left to right, there is a single-light casement to the early-C20 range, a 2-light casement set beneath a large stone lintel to the later C17/C18 extension, a 3-paned timber window set within one of the box panels of the late C16/early C17 (now enclosed by the conservatory) and a 2-light casement to the gable end of the late-C20 addition. The upper storey of the main range contains two eyebrow dormers; that to the late-C16/early-C17 range contains a 3-light casement and that to the later C17/C18 extension contains a 3-light casement. A large eyebrow dormer with 2-light and 3-light casements dominates the upper storey return wall of the late-C20 addition.
INTERIOR: the main entrance to the cottage is through the later C17/C18 extension which, now used as a dining room, contains an arched opening, possibly a bread oven, a large chamfered ceiling beam and a late-C20 timber staircase leading to the upper storey. A former external doorway in the right-hand return wall, which still retains its original glazed side window, leads through to the early-C20 extension. To the left-hand return wall a late-C20 remodelled doorway leads through to the original dwelling. Now used as a sitting room, this section of the cottage still retains a good proportion of late-C16/early-C17 features including stopped chamfered ceiling beams and joists, exposed box framing and limestone rubble walling, and a large inglenook fireplace with a timber bressumer. A late-C20 timber staircase provides access from this room to the upper storey of which the late-C16/early-C17 part retains the exposed rafters, purlins and braces of a trenched-purlin roof. In the former right-hand gable wall there are two original attic windows with leaded glazing. In the later C17/C18 extension, although this section was remodelled as a bathroom in the late-C20, the side purlins of the roof structure are visible.
