The Ancient House, and 65 and 67 High Street

Details

TQ 6957
3/16

WEST MALLING
HIGH STREET
Numbers 65, 67 and The Ancient House

1.8.52
GV
I
Shops and storeroom, possibly originally priest's house to nunnery, other building in monastic ownership or merchant's house, later inn and jail.

The Ancient House is circa 1160-80, with some possible C14 alterations, reroofed circa 1460 and refenestrated in early C19. Nos 65 and 67 are C15, No 67 rebuilt in the C17 but with link block to the Ancient House probably C16, refenestrated in mid C19.

The Ancient House was originally a chamber block above undercroft with external staircase no longer extant and possibly part of a larger structure. Built of ragstone stone rubble and some tufa blocks with roughly quoined corners. Tiled roof and one C19 brick chimneystack. Two storeys. North front has two C19 inserted casements with brick dressings. Ground floor has C14 or C15 blocked pointed arched doorcase to ground floor left which led to the undercroft and a low positioned medieval blocked rectangular stone window opening. There is also a later doorcase with C20 door and C19 inserted plank door and adjoining casement. East wall has part of a low semicircular tufa arch remaining, indicating external staircase. Lack of evidence for windows on west end wall suggests there may have an earlier hall on the site of current C16 link block.

Interior: first floor chamber contains two windows of c1160-80 with chevron arches and scallop caps to first floor, a C15 stone chimneypiece with wooden bressumer and intact C15 sans-purlin roof with three tall chamfered crownposts with four headbraces. The crownposts are similar in type to Old Gilwyns Chiddingstone, dated to c1460. Evidence from a former inhabitant suggests there may be an undercroft with wooden access trap.

Front part of Nos. 65 and 67 is timber framed, refronted in stucco with old tiled roof with central brick chimneystack. Two storeys and attics.

No. 65 has two casements to first floor and C19 shopfront. No 67 has a second floor mid C19 sash with verticals only, moulded architrave, first floor three-light canted bay on brackets and C20 shopfront. Link block between front of No. 67 and The Ancient House is timber framed, underbuilt in red brick on the ground floor and with tiled roof.

Internally the link block of No. 67 has a C16 chamfered beam and roof of collar rafter type. No. 67 has a C15 stone fireplace to first floor front room with mid C19 cast iron firegrate, exposed C15 or early C16 framing with lambs tongue stops, the top of a medieval doorframe, three plank door and the attic contains C15 octagonal crownpost to front range with moulded top and base and four headbraces to collar beam. Side-purlin roof.

Deeds of 1681 show that at least part of the property was known as "the Angel, formerly the Bull" and an inn called the Bull was mentioned as being well established by 1442. Use as an inn would explain why grand heated chambers were being created in two parts of the property in the mid C15.

Domestic buildings of the C12 are very rare in the south east and rare nationally.

[Royal Commission Report no 91016 by Sarah Pearson 1996.]

Listing NGR: TQ6805957790

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

392348

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Wood, E, The English Medieval House, (1965), 6 14 32 33
Crozier, P, Survey of Buildings in West Malling, ()
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, (1980), 578-579

End of official list entry

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