Little Thatch, Bucklebury, West Berkshire

Summary

Cottage. Probably late-C17 in date. Single-storey north-west range probably added in the 1960s later replaced, by 1982, with a longer range and additional cross-wing at the south-west end replacing an earlier lean-to. Thatch replaced with clay tiles around this time.

Description

MATERIALS: black-painted box timber-framing to the late-C17 range with probably largely C20, white-painted, brick infill laid in stretcher bond. Later ranges are of white-painted brick. Fenestration is of late-C20, timber-framed casement windows (some double-glazed), with applied leaded glazing bars and timber sills. The clay tile roofs replace the thatch that originally covered the late-C17 range.

PLAN: two-bay, rectangular, late-C17 range of one and a half storeys with a brick chimney stack at the south-west end. There is a late-C20, two-storey plus attic, gabled cross-wing at the south-west end, a late-C20 single-storey wing with a hipped roof to the north-west and a late-C20 porch to the south-east elevation. These C20 additions are all of lesser interest.

EXTERIOR: the south-east (front) elevation of the late-C17 range has exposed timber-framing to the upper floor consisting of elements of the girding beam, studs and braces. There is a small square window below the eaves of late-C20 date. Above the entrance is a late-C20 semi-dormer with a pair of tall, two-light, casements with leaded lights and a hipped roof. The entrance has a late-C20 brick porch with an arch and lead-covered flat-topped roof with tile slopes. Either side of the entrance are tripartite windows. The gable end of the slightly projecting late-C20 cross-wing at the south-east end of the elevation has symmetrical fenestration. This consists of a long tripartite window on the ground floor, a pair of double-casements on the first floor and a small rectangular window at the apex of the gable. The windows have concrete lintels with timber facings and those on the first floor are framed by, purely decorative, timber elements inserted into the brickwork. The projecting eaves have plain bargeboards.

The half-hipped north-east gable end of the late-C17 range retains its timber-framing above ground-floor level with a queen-post truss (with rendered infill) and with studs and braces below the tie-beam. The ground floor wall projects slightly, suggesting a later re-build or over-cladding. There is a timber casement in the apex of the gable, set between the queen posts, replacing a small window present in the 1960s. The ground floor has a tripartite window set below lead flashing covering the top of the projecting wall. The north-east elevation of the late-C20 single-storey extension has a pair of tripartite windows.

The north-west (rear) elevation has a short section of late-C20 walling with a cat-slide extension of the main roof and tripartite window (without leaded glazing), set between the single-storey extension and two-storey cross-wing. This encloses the north-west wall of the late-C17 range which is now an internal feature. The returns to both wings have tripartite windows. The gable end of the cross-wing has tripartite windows with timber lintels on the ground and first floors and a small window in the apex of the gable. There is decorative timber-framing below the first-floor window. The south-west elevation of the cross-wing is of three bays with symmetrical fenestration of tripartite windows with timber lintels and decorative timber-framing below the first-floor windows. There is a rebuilt brick chimney stack at the junction of the original range and cross-wing.

INTERIOR: the two-bay, single-room, interior of the late-C17 range is entered directly from the off-centre main entrance which has a C20 plank and batten door. The elements of the timber-framing are incomplete and appear to be a mixture of original and introduced timber of various periods. The chamfered spine beam in the south-western part of the room has a short run-out stop. The beam to the north-eastern part of the room is supported on one of two later posts, set on brick piers, across the centre of the room. This is also chamfered with a short run-out stop. The original girding beams survive in the north-eastern part of the room and south-eastern wall of the south-western part. On the north-western wall they appear to have been replaced. The joists are largely later machine-cut replacements. There is some partial studwork in the north-west wall of the south-western part of the room. The floor is of concrete with a glazed tile covering. At the south-west end is a brick inglenook fireplace. This has a substantial timber bressumer which may have been introduced when the fireplace was largely rebuilt in the late-C20 including the addition of a new brick hearth and seating topped with glazed pamment tiles. On the north-west side of the fireplace is a large domed brick oven with late-C20 brick repairs. A C20 opening with a plank door on the other side of the chimney gives access to the cross-wing.

A timber winder stair, of probably late-C19 or early-C20 date, with a square-section newel post, and panelled cupboard underneath, is located against the north-west wall at the start of the north-east half of the room. A doorway next to the stair gives access to a corridor running along the (now internal) north-west wall of the original range. This has remains of the original studwork.

In the main ground-floor room of the cross wing, a late-C20 timber stair encloses the chimney stack. The variations in bond, particularly the stretcher bond of the north-western slope of the stack, suggest that the chimney, and possibly the oven, have been partially rebuilt. The rest of the cross-wing and single-storey extension have C20 fabric and fittings.

The first-floor of the original range consists of two rooms and an intermediate closet accessed off a small landing. The cross-walls at the top of the stair have studwork with brick infill. The gable walls retain the framing of the queen-post trusses. A single machine-cut rafter visible over the stairwell suggests that the roof has at least been partially replaced. Original lathe-and plaster finishes have been replaced with modern plasterboard and the floors have late-C20 boarding. The first-floor of the late-C20 cross-wing is only accessible via the C20 stair behind the chimneystack.

History

Little Thatch probably originally dates from the late-C17. It appears to be shown as part of a cluster of buildings at the east end of Chapel Row Common, probably with Ryders, another C17 cottage, on John Roques map of Berkshire of 1761. It is shown in detail on the Ordnance Survey map of 1899 as a narrow rectangular building orientated north-east to south-west. By the time of the 1911 OS map it is shown with a division at the south-west end.

A drawing of the house dating from the 1960s shows it as thatched with a short perpendicular range to the north-west and a lean-to at the south-west end, also thatched, corresponding to the division on the 1911 OS map. The next time it is shown on an OS map is not until 1982 when it is shown, named as Haywards, on the current footprint, with a slightly projecting cross-range added at the south-western end of the original range (replacing the lean-to) and a longer north-western range. By this date the thatch had been replaced with clay tiles and the original timber-frame range widened by enclosing it on the north-western elevation with a new parallel brick-built wall. The chimney was also probably largely rebuilt. The house had changed its name to Little Thatch by 1998.

Reasons for Listing

Little Thatch (formerly Haywards), The Avenue, Chapel Row, a cottage of late-C17 date with late C20 additions, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural and historic interest:

* as a legible, late-C17 timber-framed cottage, illustrative of a modest vernacular domestic building of the period;

* despite later alterations and additions, the building retains a significant proportion of its timber-frame.

Group value:

* with the nearby Grade II listed house, Ryders, which is contemporary in date.

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

History in Structure

Little Thatch

A Grade II Listed Building in Bucklebury, West Berkshire

Coordinates

Summary

Description

History

Reasons for Listing

External Links

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