Builders working on renovations to a London Road cottage, that was badly flooded in January this year, have made a surprising discovery which has attracted a lot of attention from passers-by and delighted the owners. The sand and cement front rendering of the cottage has been taken away and has uncovered curved timber arches with the remnants of lath and plaster infill. This discovery suggests that the cottage is much older than had been supposed and suggests the cottage might originally have been part of a much larger important property in the town.
Local historian, David Sherratt, said, “The fact that the timbers have been shaped, rather than inserted straight down suggests this was a house of some quality and certainly not a peasant cottage. It was more likely to have been built by someone in authority and it bears a resemblance to parts of the Merchant’s House which was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1653. I would conjecture that the house was built sometime between 1550 and 1620. Looking at the roof line, it is likely that the neighbouring cottages were once part of, what would have been, a large house.
The house is situated on what would have been the boundary to the borough. Originally a forge stood on the site of Bridge Garage, adjacent to the river which was the boundary. The location of the house on the main London Road out of town – a prime location – would also suggest that it was built by someone of importance.”
Hayley Tippings, owner of the house, had believed the cottage was built in the eighteenth century. She commented, “I’m really surprised about how beautiful it is. It speaks history and it seems a shame that we will have to cover it up but it is too fragile and porous to leave it as it is.”
Clare Court, from Ramsbury Builders, who are carrying out the renovations said, “I’m absolutely stunned – it’s beautiful. We’ve uncovered old buildings before but nothing to this extent. It’s an amazing find.”
Pippa Card, Conservation Officer at Wiltshire Council, has visited the site and will be working with the builders to ensure that the correct material – a lime render – is used to complete the work in the near future.