Building record 1087500000 - ABEL'S COTTAGE, 43 HIGH STREET

Grade II. Medieval, C17 and C18. One storey and attic. Timber framed incorporating two cruck trusses with colour washed stone and brick front. Thatch roof. One storey lean-to against south gable with hipped old tile roof. One 2-light casement in this part, a 3-light segmental headed leaded casement on left of main cottage, 2 small windows to right. Two small upper windows under thatch, left hand one a dormer with tiled apron. Interior has one good cruck truss in centre fully exposed with blades terminating above collar. Parts of second cruck visible near party wall with No 45. (No 45 rebuilt after fire 1962) (B1).
2 cruck trusses with elbowed blades, truncated above the collar, passing the collar but with no upper structure. Source: A.G. Taylor (B2).
Building survey and dendro-dating carried out in January 1989 suggest the building was constructed as a three-bay hall house using timber with a felling date range of 1506-1536. A floored chamber at first floor level occupied bay 1 with an open hall and hearth in bay 2 and a possible lean-to service bay in bay 3. Three cruck trusses remain, all terminating just above the collar (type 'W'). The chimney stack with two bread ovens were inserted probably in the 17th century, when the hall was also floored over and the walls and the lean-to bay rebuilt in stone. In the 18th century some of the windows were altered and a stud partition inserted in bay 1. See report for detail (B3).