Building record 1424600000 - 1-10 Well End Cottages, Well End

The run of mid 19th century cottages, 1 – 10 Well End Cottages, are a feature of the south side of the street and sit hard on the roadside. A terrace of ten, they are not listed, but play an important visual role in the street scene, essentially defining the southern side. Originally all brick, most are now painted or rendered, and their original uniformity of style has been lost. Despite their humble origins they do have some architectural detailing, such as the dentil course that runs under the slate roof at eaves level, and on the unpainted houses, 5, 7 and 8, the original brickwork can clearly be seen – a brown brick with redder brick dressings and windows below segmental rubbed brick arches. All now have porches, a necessity due to the proximity of the road. Only Nos 5 and 6 retain traditional styled wooden sash windows, the rest have a variety of Upvc windows, again reducing the uniformity of the original elevation. The cottages are shown on an OS map of 1876 with wash houses to the rear but no rear gardens - possibly a speculative development on a narrow sliver of land next to the forge. The 1881 census returns show the cottages were mainly occupied by mill workers, labourers, railway workers and their families, although the cottage at the end, number 10, was a small provisions store (later a post office). Significant buildings within the Conservation Area of Well End (B1).