|
Myrtle Cottage |
|
|
Description |
|
Myrtle Cottage has brick elevations beneath a tiled roof, which is half-hipped north, with a multi-flue internal stack to the south. The house has two bays with a lean-to along the western elevation; the chimney stack is built towards the south-west corner of the south bay. There are axial girders and some joists are stop-chamfered; some joists within the north bay are slightly wider. There is an ingle-nook fire-place with a timber bressumer. Some evidence suggests there was a spit-jack fixing towards the western side. There is an oven opening within the outshot. A winder stair rises within the lean-to, with a landing now created at the top. Originally access may have been directly into the chamber over the north bay, from whence access was straight into the other chamber. The first floor rooms are open to the rafters which are pegged at the apex and the collars are halved across each pair. The doorway in the centre of the partition has been framed through a tie and there is an additional wide collar above. There is a fine decorative basket grate. ConclusionsThe original cottage could have been built in the mid-1600s, demolished and re-constructed c.1737 (ESRO SHR 2028/33) See below. At that date one would expect it to have had a solid stack, but the chimney bay would probably have been defined with a truss. If it had been built earlier it may have had an end smoke-bay. Re-used materials would have dictated the size of reconstruction, so it is likely that the original cottage was essentially the same dimensions, and very likely had a lean-to, but may have been fully timber-framed. A re-construction about 1737 would make greater use of solid walling, making it unnecessary to define the chimney bay, but would still peg the rafters without a ridge board. |
|
These notes have been compiled from survey reports prepared by Dr Annabelle Hughes. The full reports have been deposited in the Sussex Archaeological Society Library, Barbican House, Lewes where they can be consulted by researchers. |
|
|
|
|
|
Extract from: Informations of William Corner, aged 70, 13 Sept 1787 relating to the re-siting of a well at Offham |
|
|
Depositions of William Corner, 13 Sepr 1787 who says that a cottage in a piece of ground behind William Howells house was sold to my father by G. Alcorne abt 40yrs ago & Freed to him by the Ld of the Manor & had a right to water from a well now filled up by Mr Partington abt 5yrs ago but archd over near 40yrs ago in the time of Dr Davis who lowered the Bank called Chapel Bank & inclosed tho' no agreement was Signd for giving up the same though often Sollicited by the late Dr Davis of old Willm Howell (tenant to Mr Paine) in consideration of another well having been dug in the Front of the House for the use of the following Houses. viz (the cottage before mentiond which was taken down by my Father & the materials sold to Care for the purpose of building a cottage sold to the late John Alcorne on the T.P. Road leading to Cooksbridge) another cottage lately bought by myself of James Corner and a house in which Care now lives ... |
|
| Ref: ESRO SHR 2028/33 | |
|
|
|
©2007 Sussex Archaeological Society
