Spring Cottage is in Bishopstone, which is one of a string of villages at the foot of the chalk downland escarpment where springs produce clear drinkable water and watercress can be grown. It was at one time two dwellings which was grouped with three neighbouring cottages around a pond containing cress beds.
The building, then two cottages, was initially surveyed by Pendon in the early 1950s. In 1972 a full survey was carried out with the enthusiastic help of the owner, who had converted the original two cottages into one. The cottages, modelled as original, are set beside cress beds in the museum's Vale Scene and have furnished interiors which can be viewed when the building is lit inside during night scenes which are a feature of Pendon tours. Outside the model is complete with a brick and tiled shed and a ‘one-hole’ wooden privy.
