Brookside, Chapel Lane, Drinkstone

Summary

A cottage of the C17 and earlier, extended in 2008.

Reasons for Designation

Brookside, a C17 vernacular cottage, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons.
* Architectural Interest: the cottage has considerable aesthetic merit, conferred in part by the distinctive chimney and thatched roof covering, and illustrates craftsmanship in the construction of the timber frame;
* Intactness; Brookside is virtually intact, retaining a significant proportion of its original fabric;
* Interior: the C17 two-room plan form and the inglenook fireplace complete with a hook for the pot and bread oven adds to the interest of the cottage;
* Group Value: Brookside has considerable group value with nearby listed buildings.

History

Drinkstone is a hamlet of Saxon origins, recorded as Drincestona/Drenkestuna in the Domesday Book of 1086. The British Archaeological Research Database records that Brookside has a likely construction date of approximately 1620, but the substantial scantling of some elements of the timber frame, in particular the jowled storey posts and the arched braces to the west cross frame, may suggest an earlier phase to the building, or that timbers from an earlier building were reused in the construction of the cottage.

Brookside borders a stream that formed the northern boundary of open common land known as Drinkstone Green, depicted in Hodskinson's map of 1783; the cottages along the north side could access the Green via individual bridges to their properties. After enclosure, a strip of common land was set aside to provide access to the cottages, which later became known as Chapel Lane following the construction of the Methodist Chapel in 1867. Historically an agricultural settlement, many of the occupants were labourers living in humble cottages. The census of 1851 records a family of five living in Brookside, the head of household noted as an agricultural labourer.

The building is little altered, but in 2008 a sympathetically designed, single-storey, oak-framed kitchen attached to a one-and-a-half-storey garage extension to the east, was constructed abutting the cottage thus respecting the integrity of the historic fabric. The Map extent is indicative of the outline of recently constructed extensions.

Details

A cottage of the C17 and earlier, extended in 2008.

MATERIALS.
Timber framed (mostly oak and elm) with lathe and plaster panels, and a straw-thatched covering to the roof. The plinth and external brick stack to the east are of red brick.

PLAN.
A two-room (one heated and one unheated) plan.

EXTERIOR.
A one storey with attic, and two bay cottage, built on a brick plinth and with rendered external elevations. The facade faces south and has a central, timber battened door beneath a rebuilt gablet, and is flanked by two casement windows. On the first floor is an off-centre eyebrow dormer. The rear elevation of the historic building is abutted by the extension of 2008 which extends further to the east. The west elevation has one casement window at the attic level. The east elevation is dominated by the substantial external, red brick stack, wide at the base but tapering asymmetrically to a rebuilt top. The end of a purlin may be observed beneath the barge board to the roof.

INTERIOR.
A near intact timber-frame, with many in-situ lathe and plaster panels, survives. On the ground floor, jowled storey posts are at the north-east and north-west corners and midway on the north and south wall frames. The sole plate survives as do the studs and straight bracing to the wall frames; close studded and mostly of moderate scantling with some spindly, roughly dressed replacements. At the east end is a large inglenook fireplace with an in situ, charred, bressummer. Within the chimney, the metal chain and hook used to suspend pots over the fire has been preserved. A blocked opening for the bread oven lies to the left; this may have also been accessed via an external lean-to as is seen elsewhere in the region. The east cross frame has ogee braces of robust scantling rising from the wall posts. The floor frame is intact, comprising substantial and rough hewn, inconsistently chamfered, axial bridging beams and joists. The timbers of the room partition cross frame remain, but without panelling. In the north-west corner is a C20 dog-leg stair to the attic, where the two-room plan is preserved. The wall posts and studs rise to the substantial tie beams and wall-plate, the latter having pegged scarf joints at the north and south wall frames. In the unheated room, wide floor boards are exposed. The ogee bracing is apparent at the east cross frame. The common rafters rise from the wall plate, and although the upper roof structure is obscured, it is likely to comprise a simple, pegged 'A' frame with purlins; the outline of a windbrace in the plastered ceiling is apparent in the south pitch of the unheated room.

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