Willow Cottage Keysoe

Willow Cottage March 2016

Willow Cottage was listed by the former Department of Environment in August 1983 as Grade II, of special interest. The listing dates the cottage to the 18th century. It is built of cob, a mixture of clay, lime and a bonding agent such as straw, is covered with colour-washed roughcast and has a thatched roof. The cottage has one storey and attics with a 20th century porch and a lean-to weather-boarded outhouse to the north-east gable end.

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting the cottage [DV1/C213/59] found that it was owned by W Matthews and occupied by S W Cruse at 4/2 per week.

The cottage comprised a living room, a kitchen and two bedrooms. A wood and corrugated iron store barn and a brick and tiled washhouse both stood outside. A wood and corrugated iron dairy measuring 8 feet by 11 feet 6 inches also stood outside. In 1962 a planning application for alterations was made [RDBP6/62/113A].