Description

SY 18 NE BRANSCOMBE STREET (north side)

7/53 Nos 1, 2 (White Rabbit), 3, 4 and
5 (Fairy Cottage), Chapel Row

GV II

Row of 5 small cottages. Part is mid C17, most is probably C18. Plastered stone
rubble, maybe with some cob; stone rubble stack topped with C19 and C20; thatch
roof.
Plan: row of 5 small 1-room plan cottages built along the lane facing south-west.
They number 1-5 from right to left. These cottages are heated by a series of axial
or rear lateral stacks. Most have secondary extensions to rear. The oldest part
appears to be an early-mid C17 lobby entrance house (now Nos. 2 and 3). The
original entrance (to No. 2) is onto the front side of a large axial stack serving
back-to-back fireplaces. No. 2 was formerly the parlour and No. 3 the kitchen.
This house may have extended further and included other cottages. 2 of the cottages
have C20 date plaques on which are inscribed the date 1531 but no structural
evidence was found for a building of that date here. All are 2 storeys.
Exterior: overall irregular 7-window front of various C19 and C20 casements mostly
with glazing bars. The entrance to No. 1 is in the gable-end wall but the rest have
front entrances and all contain C20 doors. No. 2 however has an early-mid C17 oak
crank-headed doorframe with a chamfered surround. The roof runs continuously over
all the cottages. It is gable-ended to right and to left it abuts No. 6 Chapel Row
(q.v.).
Interior: most of the cottages have neatly-chamfered oak beams. However the oldest
dateable features exposed are those in Nos. 2 and 3; early-mid C17 in date. Both
have axial beams which are chamfered with scroll stops. The fireplace of No. 2 is
blocked but in No. 3 the large kitchen fireplace is exposed; it is oak and soffit-
chamfered with scroll stops. Only a couple of first floor rooms were inspected in
the row and no roofspace was accessible. Also the roof trusses appear to be boxed
into the party walls between the cottages.
This row of 5 cottages form part of an exceptionally attractive group of traditional
thatch-roofed houses which make up the hamlet of Street.

Listing NGR: SY1888188817

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26398130

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  For the Record