The Green (North)

Long Cottage and Vine Cottage - papers from the Roberts family

Vine Cottage

It was the norm for timber frame building of long ago to be built as one dwelling. With the introduction of the window tax it became beneficial to divide houses as the windows would be less per house and not attract tax. There was also the growing demand for houses as the population grew and as the village became sought after as a refuge by the better off from London.

Both what is now Long Cottage and Vine Cottage were for many generations leased to tenants by the owners. Both properties were part of a whole and at one stage included a smithy and a studio which is possibly where the garage to Vine Cottage is or more likely adjacent to the road in buildings that no longer exist. It is not until fairly modern times that what was four dwellings, two in each house, reverted again to single houses and sold other than leased.

The history of the two houses is very confusing but it is probably the case that Long Cottage and Vine Cottage were owned by one person before they were ever named and that there were at least four dwellings with significant outbuildings.