| Description | 'Tile Thatch' Cottage, 38 and 40 Briestfield Road, Upper Whitley. Formerly a cottage and barn, now two cottages. Pre 1850 (OS 1st edition 6' 1851. Sheet 247).
'Single storey, stone; agricultural.
Tile Thatch' Cottage was the subject of an archaeological assessment by Lucy Caffyn in 1982 as part of the WYAS/RCHME Worker's Housing Survey. The sketch plan and photographic images produced by the assessment are held by WYAAS (Caffyn, L. (WYAS/RCHME). 1982). The fieldwork report is transcribed below:
'Originally the property was a cottage (facing south) with a barn adjoining the west end and outbuildings up at the end of the barn. The barn is now converted to a cottage. The original cottage had a living room and a bedroom; the scullery and cellar at the rear may be an addition (?) the back wall of the living room is as thick as the other outer walls.
The roof structure plank ridge, coupled rafters, resting on substantial purlins, all timbers straight edged, indicates a date of middle 19th century; but may of course be a re roofing. Originally the roof material was pantiles hence the name 'Tile Thatch Cottage'. Could these have been made locally, with fireclay coming from the coal shaft? The cellar has now gone, and an extension added to the east gable.
The cottage is built of stone, which has been squared, but not smoothed at the front; the blocks are 23cm deep. The roof is of 'grey' slates, hung by wooden pegs. The chimneys, one at each end, are stone. The windows at the front are large, with stone lintels and sills (which project); the door has a stone lintel. There is a wooden gutter supported on projecting stone blocks at the eaves. The original ceiling was of plastered laths, 3m high, and 2.3m high in the outshut.
Entry was originally straight into the living room; which would also have been the cooking area. The bedroom is heated. Both these rooms has a high ceiling. This is less high in the scullery, to the rear. The scullery is lit by a small window, and another little (c.0.45cm) lights the 'cellar'. This was entered from the scullery, and was two steps lower. It contained a salting shelf/table'.
(Caffyn, L. (WYAS/RCHME). 1982. ''Tile Thatch' Cottage, 38 and 40 Briestfield Road, Grange Moor. Near Wakefield'). |