Building record COK 124 - The Three Horseshoes, Stows Hill

The Three Horseshoes is a well-preserved timber-framed house of the late-15th century with extensive alterations and additions of the early-17th century. The original building reflected the standard domestic layout of its period, with a central open hall of two bays flanked to the right by a floored parlour and to the left by a pair of storage rooms. The hall was substantially reduced in size in the early-17th century when the present brick chimney was inserted into its low-end bay, and in consequence the storage rooms were demolished and replaced by a new floored hall with a new pair of storage rooms beyond. The medieval parlour and the remaining part of the open hall were probably converted into a separate tenement at the same period. The building was extensively renovated during the mid-1970s when the tenements were amalgamated once more, and the inserted ceiling of the open hall removed to reveal its fine crown post. The original ceiling of the medieval parlour was also removed at this time.