Thatched Cottage

Summary

A late-C18 or early-C19 brick and thatch New Forest cottage with a timber-framed extension and C20 additions.

Reasons for Designation

Thatched Cottage, a late-C18 to early-C19 cottage within the New Forest, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: this late-C18 or early-C19 cottage retains its plan form and a significant amount of original fabric, fixtures and fittings.
* Historic interest: as a rare survival of an unchanged late-C18 or early-C19 New Forest cottage, related to the specific forest economy, and whose story is reflected in its fabric.

History

Thatched Cottage was built as built as a forester's cottage, on what was probably a mid-C17 encroachment, some time after 1787 and before 1818. In 1787 it was the home of the Rev William Arthur Heywood, who was a son of Lt Col Nathaniel Heywood (d.1808) who had been the Deputy Warden of the New Forest, an important role responsible for the foresters, the game, preservation of the Forest and maintenance of Forest Law. The cottage was originally a simple two-room structure with additional loft accommodation. The first extension to the building was a timber-framed bay, originally agricultural by its appearance, added to the south-west end of the building before 1891. On the 1909 map (when known as Rose Cottage) an outshot is depicted on the north-east end of the building, but this must have been removed when a brick extension was built on the rear of the cottage in the mid-C20. A more recent north-east extension abuts this C20 build.

Details

MATERIALS: Thatched Cottage is built of red brick with a thatched roof. The rear extension is of lime silicate bricks and the gable end extensions are of weatherboard-cladding and timber plank.

PLAN: two-cell, two-bay plan of one-and-one-half storeys with brick end chimneystacks. There are extensions to both gable ends and to the rear of the cottage.

EXTERIOR: the front elevation is in Flemish bond brick with a dentilled course at the eaves. It has a central plank-and-batten door flanked by small-paned casement windows; the first-floor windows are set into the thatched roof. The porch comprises a timber lattice superstructure on a tall brick plinth and has a pitched roof of slate slabs.

The single-storey mid-C20 rear extension is built of lime silicate bricks with an unusual Gothic form of terracotta air bricks. It has metal windows and a catslide corrugated roof. The original rear door to the cottage opens into this extension, and also into a brick and lap-board conservatory with corrugated plastic catslide roof which is attached to the rear of the extension (this last of lesser interest). This whole rear extension has been built against the original cottage without damage to the fabric of the cottage. At the gabled south-west elevation is a small waney-edged weatherboard-clad extension with a thatched roof, and at the gabled north-east elevation is a timber plank extension with a corrugated asbestos flat roof. The brickwork of the cottage gable at this north-east end is in Flemish Garden Wall bond. The front and rear doors are early C19 and of plank construction, with C19 door furniture, but all windows are C20 replacements.

INTERIOR: the cottage is of two-cell plan with a fireplace on the gable-end wall of each room. The central entrance opens into the larger (right hand) room providing a small lobby at the partition between the two rooms. The winder staircase, in its original position between the rooms, is accessed from the right hand room. It is a simple construction resting on two bearers without string support and with timber panelling to either side. The larger of the rooms has a deeply-chamfered C18 or early C19 spine beam with run-out stops against the chimney. The brick inglenook fireplace in the main room has an early-C19 wooden fire surround comprising a lintel and mantelshelf. To either side of the fireplace are original cupboard fitments; the one to the left with a late- C18 or early-C19 round end strap hinge and iron drop handle, and the one to the right being an arched china cabinet. The ceiling to both this room and the adjacent smaller parlour, is clad in mid-C19 beaded ceiling board, the larger of the rooms also has a simple moulded cornice, the smaller has a cross beam clad with ceiling board. The parlour also has an original C19 wooden fire surround with mouldings.

The thatched-roofed extension to the south-west is a late-C19 timber-framed agricultural building, of rustic appearance, subsequently converted into living accommodation. Each of the two bedrooms has a fireplace, one, boarded over, has a chimney breast with battered top; the fireplace in the other bedroom has a simple mid-C19 wooden surround with mantelshelf. All internal doors are C19 plank.

The outbuildings to the south-west of the cottage are in waney-edged weatherboarding and timber with corrugated iron roofs.These are of lesser interest.

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