Complex sentence: Until the last century the village barely qualified for the title, having been deserted in the 14th century, since then the village has consisted merely a few cottages scattered along the long drive to the mansion's secluded site.
Split into simpler sentences: Until the last century the village barely qualified for the title, having been deserted in the 14th century. Since then the village has consisted merely a few cottages scattered along the long drive to the mansion's secluded site.