BIRKBY COTTAGE

Birkby Cottage huddles with it's pantiled-roofed neighbours on the slopes of the hill leading down to the sea. Built in 1648, it originally stood alone, but was very quickly joined by others, tightly squeezed together on the available building land. It now forms part of Chapel Street, which was never designed for the vehicles of today, but it would have been possible to trundle a cart over the narrow cobbled surface. We assume that the original owner was a fisherman, and that the Ground Floor of the cottage would have been the stores and workshop for the nets and lobster pots, with the family living on the first and second floors above. Today, Birkby Cottage still retains it's original outside appearance, but over the years various owners have added their own touches to the design, leaving a very comfortable three level cottage with full central heating and plenty of space for six people to live and sleep in it's three cosy bedrooms

Primary location: United Kingdom