Building record 1432700000 - South End Cottage, Middle Green

History: The hamlet of Middle Green is one of a number of small settlements within the ancient parish of Wexham, now on the northern edge of Slough. South End Cottage probably originated in the C18 as a pair of farm cottages - although the first-edition OS map of 1876 already shows it as a single dwelling on its present footprint. The principal phase of alteration came in 1910 (the date on the main rainwater head) when the house was re-fronted with a raised parapet and twin bay windows added to the main elevation. The present external render, casement windows and internal features such as the stair presumably date from this period.
Details: MATERIALS: cement render over red brick; modern tile roof. EXTERIOR: the house is roughly square on plan and consists of two-bays, each having its own hipped roof; the right-hand bay has been extended to the rear. There are two tall brick stacks in the left-hand roof-slope and one in the right, plus a fourth (truncated) stack at the end of the extended bay. The main front is symmetrical, with twin polygonal bay windows and a high parapet concealing the old roofs behind. Between the bays is a rainwater-head dated 1910. The main entrance is to the right; the fenestration here and on the rear wall is irregular and comprises an array of small timber casements with square-paned leaded glazing, all seemingly of early-C20 date. INTERIOR: the interiors belong for the most part to the 1910 remodelling or later. From the main entrance, a small vestibule (containing an Art Deco coloured glass panel) leads into a central stair hall. The two front rooms on the ground floor retain their original chamfered ceiling beams; the wall dividing them is of (modern) timber studwork with brick infill. The kitchen, to the rear in the left-hand part of the house, retains the remnants of its original large open hearth, later altered to accommodate a cooking range; the other fireplaces are modern or blocked up. The stair, probably part of the 1910 remodelling, is of dog-leg type, with plain newels and stick balusters arranged in groups of three. On the first floor are four bedrooms, one of which contains a cupboard with an old plank door. Parts of the original roof structure (purlins, collars and angled braces) survive in the left-hand attic, although most of the rafters have been renewed. The right-hand attic contains only fragments of its original roof.
Selected Sources: None.
Submitted to English Heritage for consideration for listing in 2012. Judged to be a building of much importance locally but not recommended for listing at national level due to the degree of alteration: the modest original structure has been thoroughly remodelled both inside and out, and little of its early form and fabric remains visible; and lack of architectural interest: the 1910 work has itself been altered, and is not of any particular design quality (B1).