Reasons for Designation
Talbot Cottage, Rowhook is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* In origin, Talbot Cottage is an early C17 two-bay timber-framed cottage with end chimneystack. It remains substantially intact with a significant amount of surviving original fabric;
* The timber frame survives sufficiently to describe the plan and development of the building;
* It has good group value with the Chequers Inn and Chequered Oak House.
Details
WARNHAM
965/0/10071 ROWHOOK ROAD
29-MAY-09 Talbot Cottage
II
House. Early-C17 with later phases and C20 additions and the front re-clad in the later C20.
MATERIALS: A timber-framed building on Horsham stone plinth. Some of the panels have modern brick or Horsham stone infill, however, several panels, especially on the second-storey appear to retain the original lath and plaster infill. It is roofed in clay tiles and has two chimneystacks, the original north-eastern of Horsham stone and older brick and the newer C20 south-western one of brick. The irregularly-spaced windows are C20 wooden casements.
PLAN: Originally a two-bay house of two-storeys, currently with one room to the ground floor and with three unequally sized rooms to the first floor. The original entrance was probably a lobby entrance to the west of the chimneystack, with a secondary entrance in the southern side elevation. The current access is in the outshot to the south-west of the original structure.
The original plan was modified in the C20. There is a modern single storey garage on the north-western end of the property, and a mid-C20 two-storey extension, with catslide roof on the south-eastern end of the original building. The latter incorporates a secondary fireplace with a corresponding brick built chimney.
EXTERIOR: The front, western, elevation has been re-clad in brick and clay peg tile, however, internal inspection would suggest that the timber framing survives in some areas within the elevation, particularly at first floor level. On this elevation, windows within the original cottage are one per bay per storey, with an additional window in the offshoot above the newly created entrance doorway. The windows to the first-floor have been raised and now sit across the wall plate with hipped dormers partially beneath the eaves. All windows within this elevation, like those to the other elevations, are of the same C20 wooden casement construction.
On the rear, eastern elevation the timber framing can be seen externally. Generally, the framing is in square panels, suggesting an early C17 date, with three panels to each bay width, and with each storey being two panels high, thus the cottage is four panels high in total. The end panels to the first floor both have curved tension braces, although that to the southern bay appears to have been replaced as it now only spans the lower panel and the infill has been replaced in brick. The window openings to this elevation have been modified throughout the history of the cottage. With the exception of the French-doors, all openings respect the timber frame and sit wholly within the original panels. The windows within the outshot are larger and break across the faux panel structure. The main post of the rear central truss appears to have been reused, as there are three mortice holes on the exterior surface of the post, in positions, which even if there was formally a rear extension to the building, would not be expected.
The side elevations have been obscured by C20 outshoot extensions and a garage.
INTERIOR: The oak timber frame is visible internally. The back, eastern, wall retains much of the frame with some curved downbraces and corner and central posts to the first floor. The original front, western, ground floor wall has been mostly removed but elements of the wall frame can be seen at first floor level. The roof is of queen post structure, a significant proportion of which survives. A number of the rafters and purlins have been replaced but the original principal beams are evident in a number of areas. Much of the C18 studwork to the first floor also survives.
In addition to the exposed timber framing, the features of interest internally are the fireplaces. The ground-floor inglenook fireplace contains a bread-oven to the east and a small window to the west. The retention of the bread-oven is an unusual feature of a cottage of this type and is therefore of significant interest. The fireplace to the first floor is also of interest, as cottages of this size and date would often only be heated at ground-floor level. The principal beams show evidence of shallow chamfers. However, only one beam (of the central cross frame) had a visible chamfer stop.
HISTORY: The building appears to be part of the original settlement of Rowhook. There are two other listed buildings that form the core of the settlement in the immediate vicinity of the cottage, including the late C16 Chequers Inn (Grade II), immediately opposite, and the C16 Chequered Oak House (Grade II) to the north. There may, be an even earlier settlement at Rowhook as the course of 'Stane Street', a Roman road, runs close to the site.
The central section of Talbot Cottage, as seen today, is shown on the Ordnance Survey maps from 1871 onwards. The 1912 Ordnance Survey map shows an additional building abutting the southern end of the cottage but this has since been removed, and a small extension added to the cottage.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Talbot Cottage, Rowhook is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* In origin Talbot Cottage is an early C17 two-bay timber-framed cottage with end chimneystack. It remains substantially intact with a significant amount of surviving original fabric;
* The timber frame survives sufficiently to describe the plan and development of the building;
* It has good group value with the Chequers Inn and Chequered Oak House.
