14th c. Cottage
This timber-framed cottage stands in the village of West Ashling, near Chichester (Sussex, England). To judge by the small size of the frames, it probably dates from the late 14th or early 15th century. The windows occupy spaces which would originally have been fitted with timber mullions and lifting shutters. If my estimate of the age of the house is correct, the chimney must be a later addition.
The panels between the frames of a timber-frame house such as this were originally filled with willow wattles "daubed" with a mixture of mud, straw, and animal dung. The vast majority of timber framed houses have been virtually rebuilt, over the course of time, their wattle and daub infill being replaced with flints or bricks. This one seems to be an exception to the rule; it's panels appear still to be made of the real thing.
No doubt this house once belonged to a yeoman farmer, or to a bailiff (or estate manager). As timed passed, the gentry moved into grander, brick-built homes and this house became the abode of someone much more humble; a farm worker, perhaps. The general lack of modernisation strongly suggests a scenario of this kind; no doubt the house is worth a fortune today, but it has spent most of its life in the hands of people who could not afford to make "improvements". This is especially apparent from the look of the roof. Note that whilst the more public, front face of the house has been given a tiled roof, the back retains the original thatch. In past times thatch would have been a much cheaper option. One cannot help feeling a little bit sorry for the poor soul who was so vain that he had to waste money trying to impress the passers-by. Ah well, I suppose it simply equates to buying a BMW "on tick" instead of driving an affordable Ford.