The story of the Piece of Cheese Cottage began in 1878, when it was built on a small piece of land left over by two brothers, George and Stephen Starr, after they had built nine cottages. The cottage is situated on an awkward plot, and the two brothers made a wager of £5 (equivalent to about £300 in 2024), that a functional building could not be built on such a plot. However, they proved themselves wrong, and England’s only triangular cottage came into existence.
The cottage is a three-cornered, two-story, building with just 720 square feet of space. Its outer walls are painted yellow to complete the cheese-wedge look. Furthermore, on its roof, sits a mouse on a piece of cheese, and upon its chimney is a mock blue plaque commemorating a visit from Hollywood’s biggest tiny couple “celebrated movie stars Mr. & Mrs. Michael Mouse.”
After the brothers built the cottage, they used it as a workshop and storeroom. Over the years, the cottage has served various purposes, including coffin storage and as a watchmaker. However, in 1963, a local poet, Diana Stoddart, purchased the property and opened it as a Victorian museum and tearoom. It then became a holiday cottage and a quirky tourist attraction.
Today, the triangular cottage is a fascinating and unique piece of architecture that showcases the creativity of the two brothers who built it and the somewhat cheesy style of successive owners.
