Site of 19th century cottages, Sturmer (EHER 80215)

Trial trenching at the site of the former Spinning Wheel tea rooms in Sturmer revealed the foundations of the building which was constructed in the early 19th century as two cottages with the establishment of the Spinning Wheel tea rooms in the 1930s. According to the client, Mr John Collar, The business closed in 1990, and after a long period of disuse, the Spinning Wheel was demolished in 2008, its condition being too bad to repair or restore.

2013. Trial trenching. Trial trenching revealed the foundations of the demolished Spinning Room tearooms. These remains included shallow brick footings representing the end and middle walls of the former cottages from which the tearooms were constructed. The flint footings of a 19th century clapboard outbuilding was also excavated in addition to modern disturbance between the buildings from where they were connected to make the tearooms. According to the client, the former ‘Spinning Wheel’ was constructed in the early 19th century as two cottages. Three Georgian coins were found embedded within one of the scarf joints during demolition, the latest of which was dated 1807, supporting this date. The building was timber-framed and stood on brick foundations. It has lath and plastered walls, a thatched roof and a central chimney stack where the cottages met. <1>