Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1378 to 1999

Summary from record TQ 44 NW 26 :

After tree-ring dating by Nottingham University in November 1989, it seems likely that a late C14 building was heavily reconstructed in the early C16

Monument Types

• SITE (Medieval to Modern - 1378 AD to 1999 AD)
• HOUSE (HOUSE, Medieval - 1385 AD to 1400 AD)
• BARN (BARN, Medieval - 1400 AD to 1499 AD)
• HOUSE (HOUSE, Medieval - 1500 AD to 1520 AD)
• BARN (BARN, Post Medieval - 1600 AD to 1633 AD)
• HOSPITAL (Modern - 1914 AD to 1915 AD (between))

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:

TQ4446 EDENBRIDGE HIGH STREET
12/440 Number 72,
Church House
10.9.54
GV II* (star)
Former farmhouse, later town council offices. 1378-13962 bay hall with service crosswing to south and parlour room to north with early C :16 kitchen extension to west and possible other alterations, floored over and chimneystack inserted in late C16 and refronted and other alterations of late C18 or early C19. Timberframed building refronted ill diaper brickwork with blue headers to east but with fishscale tiles to south east gable, some exposed framing with curved braces and plaster infilling to first floor of south front and square framing with brick infill to ground floor, mixture of plain and fishscale tiles to north front and some square framing visible above brickwork to west wing. Tiled roof with off central ridge stack and external sandstone and brick stack to south. Two storeys. East front has four cambered window openings with one blank and three lead casements in wooden frames. C18 panelled door in moulded frame to left and C 19 wooden doorway in square porch to left. Parapet, brick bands and plinth. Left side gable is jettied with moulded plaster soffit. Tripartite sash window to gable and casements to ground floor. South front has large external stack with sandstone base. West front has three casements with leaded lights and C20 plank door in moulded architrave. West wing of one storey and attics with twelve pane sash with cambered head and gabled dormer. C20 extension to extreme west not of special interest. Interior has post and panel boarding to north wall of south ground floor room, which also has exposed floor joists of square section, Jacobean plank and muntin panelling, an C18 serpentine shelved corner cupboard and C18 two panelled door. Hall has early C 19 brick floor laid in herringbone pattern. Central room contains inserted open fireplace with wooden bressumer with spandrels and two spice alcoves and seats. North side has Jacobean plank and muntin panelling and fragment of moulded dais beam with ogee moulding. Two inch chamfered spine beam with lambs, tongue stops and similar floor joists. North bay, former parlour, has exposed joists of square section.
Early C19 staircase with stick balusters. First floor has jowled posts, wide oak floorboards and early C19 plank doors. Six panelled door to south east room has L-hinge to top and cock's head hinge to base. Octagonal crownpost with 4 head braces and northernmost bay has saltire bracing. Early C 19 attic stairs. C16 west wing has two inch chan,:1fered floor joists with lambs tongue stops and crownpost roof of very late form with three thin braces to central truss. Smoke-blackened timbers suggest there was originally an open hall. This may have been a k1tchen and there may have been a timber chimneystack at one stage. this property was originally known as Doggetts. A will of 1577 refers to building work at this property which probably dates the flooring over of the open hall and insertion of the chimney.
[Royal Commission Report no 39657 by Sarah Pearson of October 1989 and supplementary notes of September 1995. Study by Donald W Insall and Associates of October 1995.]
Listing NGR: TQ4437046139

Description from record TQ 44 NW 26 :
Eighteenth century elevation masking 16th century or earlier framed structure. Brick with blue headers, red brick dressings to windows, brick plinth, band and parapet with ridge slate roof returned as gable end to left. Modern ridge stack. Gable end to left tile hung and with lst floor oversailing with moulded plaster soffit. Eighteenth century panelled door in moulded frame. Nineteenth century projecting octagon glazed doorway to right. Various lead casements in wooden frames and tripartite sash window in gable end. Two bricked recessed panels. rear elevation. Brick and tile hung with hip gable end. Side elevation. Exposed framing with brick infilling. Projecting chimney stack with coursed ashlar stone base. Interior shows late mediaeval hall house with crown post; and cross wing at North end, also with crown post somewhat altered. Remains of screens passage; and much exposed timber throughout. No 72 (Church House) with its Barn and The Crown Hotel form a Group.

After tree-ring dating by Nottingham University in November 1989, it seems likely that a late 14th century building was heavily reconstructed in the early 16th century.

Thirty two samples from this building were analysed by tree-ring dating. This analysis produced three site chronologies: AD 1377 – 1538, AD1417 – 1502 and AD 1250 – 1374. It would appear that this is a 14th century building altered in the early 16th century.(1)

WWI used as a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Hospital from Oct 1914 to Mar 1915.

English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Hazel Basford, 2004, Kent VAD - the work of voluntary aid detachments in Kent during the first World War (Unpublished document). SKE31644.

<1> Ancient Monuments Laboratory, 2000, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers From Church House, Edenbridge, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12145.

Sources and further reading