History

Mid C17 (said locally to be c1660) parlour block enlargement of an earlier dwelling that is now destroyed. Some modern renovation. Known to have been one of many inns serving this important road; in recent years the A48 has been realigned, hence the skewed angle between it and Brook Cottage. The house is being extended and repaired (January 2000) with the addition of a new wing on the site of the older building.
The detached kitchen described by Fox and Raglan survives about 10m east of the house but is too altered to be included.

Exterior

This is a sub-medieval two storey, stone-built, dwelling with modern tiled roof (formerly stone-tiled) and with a large stone chimney stack to the rear. The downhill bay has long been lost leaving a two window main front (but see below), the left hand of which formerly contained the entrance, with relieving arch and now with a modern window; this and the present entrance to the right have red brick dressings. An original dressed stone surround survives to first floor left and C17 style modern window to the right. The best preserved part of the building is the gable end that faces the road which has stone-mullioned, sunk-chamfered 3-light windows to ground and first floors, both with Tudor labels; further original, single-light, window to attic. The largely demolished bay at the other end retains the base of a corbelled chimney to the rear wall. This wing is being rebuilt (January 2000) in one-and-a half storey form with a slate roof and rear dormer.
The demolished bay to the left of the surviving block was in the process of being rebuilt at the time of inspection (July 1999).

Interior

The original 3-bay plan comprised outer service room to south-east, hall to centre and parlour to north-west (nearest road). Entrance is now from the south-east end into the hall, off which is the surprisingly broad staircase that winds around a central timber pier and has a blocked window. Chamfered beams throughout with straight-cut stops; splayed windows and 6-panel doors; cellar. On first floor are segmentally-headed chamfered oak door-frames with boarded doors and in-and-out, partition. Simple A-frame roof trusses.
This description is as of 1993, the interior was not available for inspection at the time of resurvey.

Reasons for Listing

Listed despite alterations for its special interest as a small sub-medieval house with good roadside elevation and surviving original detail internally.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29482876

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

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey