Bier house on Willington Road February 2008

Cople is unusual in still having a bier house (as opposed to a beerhouse|, quite a different thing!). This stands near the church|, now in the garden of 1 Willington Road. It was built to house the parish bier, usually a hand cart, on which coffins could be placed to be conveyed from their house, or place of laying out, to the church for burial.

 
Bier house February 2008

The former Department of Environment listed the structure in 1975 as Grade II, of special interest. It is a 19th century timber-framed building, with red brick infill. The upper part of the wall is in a herring bone pattern and the structure has a clay tile roof. The gable end has Tudor-style wooden double doors and the rear gable has a three light window with leaded diamond panes. There are plain barge-boards to both gables with wooden crosses in place of finials.