Elizabeth Cottage

Elizabeth ’s Cottage, on The Green is a 17 th century timber framed cottage, tile hung at the first floor. It has a large inglenook fireplace and the original brick floor in the main living room. It was originally a two bed roomed cottage but is now extended at the side and back.

It is thought that the cottage may have belonged to a farm south of Leigh called ‘Muscombs’. It was owned by the Children family until 1822 when it was bought by the Penshurst Estate; it was sold by the Penshurst Estate in 1921 and sold on again later that year.

The cottage was named ‘ Elizabeth ’s Cottage’ when it was bought in 1921 by Alice Mayne; it was called Elizabeth after Alice ’s sister, Elizabeth, who lived in the cottage with her.

A number of people living in the village remember the cottage for two reasons; there was a ‘two-hole’ privy in the garden (probably necessary as there were apparently eleven in the family at that time). Also, in the garden of the cottage (where ‘Wildhatch’ is now) there was a tennis court and this was used in the 1920s and 30s by villagers.