School Cottage, Woodrow

School Cottage Cherry Lane Woodrow Amersham Buckinghamshire HP7 0QQ

Building

Roofed and walled permanent structures.

Asset type

Traditional Chiltern cottage.

Age

Early C17th, with later additions & alterations.

Rarity

Nice example of this type, of which there’re aren’t all that many - especially still retaining a vaguely rural setting.

Architectural and Artistic Interest

Attractive one-and-a-half storey Chiltern Cottage, in the hamlet of Woodrow, with an appropriate cottage-style garden to front. Constructed with brick & timber. Presumably local clay bricks & timber for the structure. Set under a pitched & gabled roof, with covering of plain clay tiles & clay ridge tiles. Large chimney to left-hand end, with accompanying front lean-to projection. Presumably originally large/ inglenook fireplace internally. Upper part of chimney appears to have been rebuilt. Second chimney, again of relatively large proportions, sits on the front of the house, to the right-hand end [of the original cottage]. Again, the top ‘part’ of the chimney appears to have been rebuilt. Principal feature of facade are the 2 small gable-ended first-floor projections. Left-hand one, set slightly in from edge of building. Both adjoin at central ‘tips’. Right-hand projection reaches edge of building, hence largely obscured by chimney. Each has a window set centrally, correspondingly the right-hand window is slightly smaller in accommodating the position of the chimney. All exterior, is finished in white, although left projection seems rendered, whereas right the brick pattern can be seen beneath. Windows - over both floors - are probably late C20th. On the ground floor, the front door is also probably late C20th & set into an enclosed porch extension, probably of the same date. Window sits between right-hand side of porch & left-hand side of chimney. Further window, slightly wider & better spaced to left of porch. Small window to left-hand end aforementioned lean-to. Substantial single-storey addition, to right-hand end. Slightly wonky ridge line, with accompanying line being made down to the ‘join’ between the 2 forward gabled projections, giving impression right-hand side of ‘original’ cottage may be built at a different date. Would hazard a guess, left-hand side is probably older?

Group Value

With Child’s Farm, a close-by Farmstead, where the Farmhouse is Listed at Grade II, as are 4 of the Outbuildings.

Historic Interest

Traditional Chiltern cottage, in vernacular tradition. Old maps (late C19th) show School for Boys & Girls being located slightly further along the other side of the same road - may have been associated accommodation?

Archaeological Interest

Possible, due to age.

Landmark Status

Pretty cottage, albeit in quiet setting.

n/a

09 Nov 2023