Old White Hill Cottage

Reasons for Designation

Old White Hill Cottage is designated for the following principal reasons:

* In origin Old White Hill Cottage is a late C16 timberframed cottage with central chimneystack and lobby entrance. It remains substantially intact with a significant amount of surviving original fabric although the exterior was later clad in brickwork and render and additions made; * The original plan form is still readable internally. This has been enhanced by a C17 staircase tower. A further bay added in the early C19 and a late C19 addition are also of interest, with a significant amount of surviving original fabric; * Decorative detail includes a good quality later C17 staircase with solid splat balusters and pyramid variant newel post, lambs tongue and run out stops to spine beams, plank doors with iron hinges and a surviving C19 iron casement window with diamond panes.

Details

CHILHAM

123/0/10010 CANTERBURY ROAD 06-APR-09 Old White Hill Cottage

II House, later subdivided, now in one ownership. Late C16, with staircase tower added in the late C17, refronted and extended in the early C19 and extended in the late C19. A small mid-C20 extension to the south west is not of special interest.

MATERIALS: Timberframed, clad in brickwork in the early C19, which has been rendered with incised lines on the south west and south east sides to give an impression of ashlar. Gabled tiled roof with off central ribbed brick chimneystack. The irregular fenestration consists mainly of C20 casements in original openings.

PLAN: Originally a late C16 two-cell, one-storey and attics house with central chimneystack and lobby entrance. This was modified by the addition of a staircase tower to the north west in the late C17. In the early C19 the building was clad in brickwork and a projecting full height porch added to the south west side and a further full-height bay added to the north west. A single-storey extension was added to the south west in the late-C19.

EXTERIOR: The south west side was originally the entrance front. It has three gabled dormers and a two-storey projecting full-height gabled porch opposite the chimneystack with first floor casement window. The ground floor of this is now obscured by a small C20 gabled extension. The ground floor has a three-light casement with cambered head to the left and a C20 square bay to the right. Projecting at the north west end is a single-storey later-C19 gabled extension which retains a metal framed casement with diamond panes and plank door with large iron hinges. The south east elevation has only a single casement window to the upper storey. The north east elevation, originally the rear elevation, now has the main entrance. It is mainly of brick with a brick plinth. Opposite the chimneystack is a gabled full-height staircase tower with catslide roofs to outshots on either side. Each outshot has a plank door. The north east front is entirely of brick in a random bond pattern and has two casement windows with cambered heads and a tall C19 chimney at the south western corner.

INTERIOR: The south eastern ground floor room has a large open fireplace with wooden bressumer which retains the socket for a crane. The brick surround has a spice hole and the brickwork on the left hand side has been worn down by knife sharpening. The spine beam has a two inch chamfer and lambs tongue stops on one side and unchamfered floor joists. Timber framing of the original north west wall is visible. The adjoining room has a smaller fireplace with wooden bressumer and chamfered spine beam with runout stops. There is a timber framed partition wall between this room and the north-western end. The timber frame of the original north west end wall is visible in the north western room which was added in the early C19.

Access to the south western bedroom is by the late-C17 staircase tower which has a dogleg staircase with solid splat balusters and pyramid variant newel post. The bedroom has a ledged plank door and the wallplate is visible. It is possible that a further fireplace may be concealed beneath plaster. The top of the brick chimneystack is visible through a small cupboard. Originally the C17 staircase would also have given access to the adjoining bedroom but, probably in the C19 when the building was divided into two cottages, this access was blocked and this room is now approached from a C20 staircase towards the north west. Much of the timber frame of the original north west wall, including a jowled corner post, is visible here. The adjoining bedroom has a small brick fireplace with wooden bressumer. Old floor boards are reported to survive in both these bedrooms under later floor coverings.

HISTORY: At one time the building was part of the Chilham Castle estate and was called Looker's Cottage, inhabited by a shepherd. In the 1872 Ordnance Survey map the building can be seen to have been extended by one bay on both floors at the north-western end. By the 1897 OS map the footprint can be seen to have been altered by the addition of a porch opposite the chimney on the south west front and a larger projection added to the northern end of this side. On this and the 1907 map the building is shown divided into two properties. A further small extension was added in front of the south western porch in the 1960s or 1970s.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: * This late C16 timberframed cottage with central chimneystack and lobby entrance remains substantially intact with a significant amount of surviving original fabric although the exterior was later clad in brickwork and render and later additions made; * The original plan form is still readable internally. This has been enhanced by a C17 staircase tower. A further bay added in the early-C19 and a late-C19 addition are also of interest, with a significant amount of surviving original fabric; * Decorative detail includes a good quality later C17 staircase, stops to spine beams, plank doors with iron hinges and a C19 iron casement window.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

505885

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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