A retired farmer neighbour tells us that this was an old cottage when his parents were young, and the stone plaque certainly looks the part. We think that it must date back to the late seventeenth century but all there is on the plaque are the initials 'WM'. Certainly the typeface has the right look to it for the period.
A course of bricks above and there it is again, our favourite heritage paint colour, Norfolk Bog Door Blue, flaking and tastefully falling off the metal plate as only this colour can. Lovely.