Summary
Farmhouse. Probably C17 enlarged and re-fronted in the mid to late-C18. Minor C20 alterations.
Reasons for Designation
Cheeseman’s Farmhouse, Mersham, Kent, a farmhouse of C17 origin, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* The farmhouse is a multi-phase building that retains a significant proportion of fabric from its principal stages of development, all of which pre-date 1840. The west range retains timber framing, and so has the potential to provide evidence of the date and the vernacular tradition for this type of construction;
* The plan form remains legible and clearly illustrates the development of the building, reflecting the changing modes of use of domestic buildings from the C17 onwards.
Historic interest:
* The addition of the east range may reflect the prosperity of the farm during the mid-to late C18. This along with the surviving layout of the farmstead contributes to our understanding of the historic agricultural economy of the region.
Group value:
* The farmhouse, barn and cowshed have functional group value and are historically associated with each other as part of the steading.
History
As with the great majority of vernacular dwellings, little is known of the early history of Cheeseman’s Green Farmhouse. Based on assessment of the building’s fabric, and that of the associated barn, which is probably of the same date, it seems likely that the building dates from the C17 and originated as a two-bay lobby entry house, heated by a central stack and with a service block at the southern end. Probably in the mid to late-C18 the house was doubled to its current size by the addition of a fashionable, symmetrically-fronted eastern range. The current footprint is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1871. This also shows the barn and attached cow sheds in their current form.
Details
Farmhouse. Probably C17 lobby entry house, enlarged and re-fronted in the mid to late-C18. Minor C20 alterations.
MATERIALS: Kentish ragstone (largely white-painted) and red brick laid in Flemish bond. The upper-storey, which is timber-framed on the rear range, is clad with hanging tiles. The roofs are covered with clay tiles. Timber casement windows are mostly modern replacements.
PLAN: the farmhouse, located at the south of the farmstead, is of two storeys and comprises a western C17 rectangular range with a hipped roof with an additional service range, with a transverse hipped roof, at the southern end. The west range is adjoined by a parallel C18 range to the east with a pitched roof and end stacks. The original western range is a lobby entry plan of two rooms on each floor, either side of a central stack. The original stair is at the rear of the stack. The service range has been subdivided on the ground floor with a single room on the first floor. The later eastern range is also of two rooms placed on either side of an entrance hall with straight stair. On the first floor it has two bedrooms with a powder room (now a bathroom) over the entrance hall.
EXTERIOR: the brick front (east) elevation is symmetrical, of three bays with a central entrance with a later flat-roofed, weatherboarded porch. The six-panel door has glazed lights in the upper panels. The fenestration has replacement timber casement windows with glazing bars, set in threes apart from the central first floor double casement.
The rear (west) elevation is of stone on the ground floor with patches of brick infill and brick quoins with the tile hung upper storey probably being timber framed. A large enclosed porch with pitched tile roof, tile-hung gable and metal casement windows occupies a central position. Fenestration is irregular and consists of small square replacement timber casements. On the ground floor these comprise a set of three to the south of the porch (partially enclosed by the later porch at the north end). The first floor has a set of three casements at the northern end and a single casement (with a modern skylight above) over the southern slope of the porch. The service block at the south end of the elevation is blind.
The north elevation has a stone ground floor with a run of replacement timber casements on the west side.
The east elevation has a stone ground floor to the service block to the west but that to the eastern range is brick built. Fenestration is only present in the service block. On the ground floor a pair of timber casements and a single casement with transom are enclosed by a brick surround. The first floor has a pair of timber casements.
INTERIOR: the rooms in the eastern range are essentially C18 in character. The southern room has a large inglenook fireplace with a timber bressummer and modern fire hood. To the east of the fireplace is a cupboard with a plank and batten door with iron strap hinges, spring latch and finger-plates. The room has a single exposed oak ceiling beam with chamfer and shallow stops, dado-rail, skirting, inset bookcase and a four-panel door to the hall with lock case and finger-plates. A plank and batten door (off its hinges at the time of the inspection) gives access to the western range. The northern room has a 1930s brick fireplace flanked by cupboards with four-panel doors. The room has an exposed oak ceiling beam, four panel door with door furniture to the hall and a plank and batten door with strap hinges through to the northern room of the western range.
The two ranges are divided by a studded wall with a substantial sill beam, posts, studding and bressummer all evident. Between the two doors into the eastern range is a cupboard (under the C18 stair case) with a plank and batten door. The rooms, either side of a central stack, have longitudinal chamfered beams with stops and exposed joists. In the northern room the infilled fireplace has timber framing above the bressummer. The windows in the northern wall have a substantial timber lintel. In the southern room the original winder stair at the rear of the stack has a plank and batten door. The fireplace is infilled with a modern cupboard. The service range has been modernised and subdivided but retains elements of timber framing.
On the first floor of the eastern range, the landing balustrade has a double finial to the newel post and stick balusters. Doors off the landing are all of four panels and a nine-light leaded window with wrought iron saddle bars overlooks the stair from the powder room. The southern bedroom has a timber fireplace surround with a C19 arched grate. The cupboards either side of the fireplace have plank and batten doors with iron strap hinges and one has wooden drying pegs. The northern bedroom has virtually the same fittings with a different style of chimney surround. One of the cupboards has drying pegs and a drop handle to the door. The service range contains a single room (now a bathroom) with plank and batten doors to the southern bedroom of the eastern range and, via a flight of three steps, of the southern bedroom of the west range which has a lower floor level (another plank and batten door and steps give access to the landing). This room is timber framed with a longitudinal beam. A modern skylight has been introduced. A third plank and batten door gives access to the rear winder stair which has a faceted newel post and pyramidal finial. The northern bedroom also has ample elements of the timber framing including a stud wall dividing it from a stepped corridor adjoining the central stack and linking with the landing in the eastern range.
Only a small part of the roof structure of the eastern range was visible for inspection (2017). This had hand cut rafters with pegged joints and ridge-piece.
In recommending the extent of the designation, we have considered whether powers of exclusion under s1 (5A) of the 1990 Act are appropriate, and consider that they are not.
