Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1500 to 1899. A 16th centuty cottage row with later 19th century fronts to the right. The range is L-shaped. Numbers 1 and 2 (to left) are underbuilt in red and blue brick on the ground floor with close-studded timber-framing on the first floor with plaster infill. The plain tiled roof has a gabled semi-dormer to the left, two gabled dormers in the centre and a jettied gable. Numbers 3 and 4 (to right) have red and blue brick chequer below and fish-scale and plain tile-hanging above with plain tiled roofs with a central shallow tile-hung return gable and 2 heavily moulded ridge stacks. Old Laundry Cottage is to the return wing of the rear of number 4 and has a red brick ground floor and fish-scale and plain tile-hanging above and a plain tiled roof of 2 pitches, that to right slightly higher, matching slight projection of wall over face below. There is one bay of close-studded timber-framing with plaster infill to the right. The rear of the whole range is timber-framed with plaster infilling, the wing to the left being Old Laundry Cottage. There is a gabled three-storey centre with a small cupola over, almost on axis,with Ightham Mote west front. This whole range may once have provided Ightham Mote with an outer court.

Monument Types

• HOUSE (Medieval to Modern - 1475 AD to 2050 AD)
• DOVECOTE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1540 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 55 SE IGHTHAM MOTE ROAD 3/8 (east side)
1.8.52 Nos 1 to 4 (consec) Mote Farm Cottages and Old Laundry. Cottage GV II*
Cottage Row. C16 with later C19 fronts to right. L-shaped. Nos 1 and 2, (to left). Underbuilt in red and blue brick on ground floor, close-studded timber-framing on first floor with plaster infill. Plain tiled roof with gabled semi-dormer to left, 2 gabled dormers in centre and jettied gable. Second storey of central tower to right. Two front off-ridge stacks at left and centre. Two-storey and attic; irregular fenestration, 2 casements on first floor, 3 on ground floor. Boarded door at extreme left, glazed doors off-centre to left and at extreme right. Tall door under central tower with small door on second floor. Nos 3 and 4 (to right). Red and blue brick chequer below, fish-scale and plain tile-hanging above. Plain tiled roof with central shallow tile-hung return gable and 2 heavily moulded ridge stacks. Two storeys; irregular 4 window front, casements. Boarded doors with overlights, at extreme left and off-centre to right. Old Laundry Cottage. Return wing to rear of No 4 red brick ground floor. Fish-scale and plain tile-hanging above. Plain tiled roof of 2 pitches, that to right slightly higher, matching slight projection of wall over face below. One bay of close-studded timber-framing with plaster infill to right. Left-hand between gable with moulded bargeboards. Central chimney-breast, projecting, with stack. Ridge stack off-centre to right. Two storeys; irregular 2 window front, casements. Left-hand entrance with half-glazed door. Rear of whole range timber-framed with plaster infilling, the wing to the left being Old Laundry Cottage. Gabled 3-storey centre with small cupola over, almost on axis,with Ightham. Mote west t front. This whole range may once have privided Ightham Mote with an outer court. Listing NGR: TQ5839053444 (1)

Description from record TQ 55 SE 28 :
TQ 55 SE IGHTHAM MOTE ROAD 3/8 (east side) 1.8.52 Nos 1 to 4 (consec) Mote Farm Cottages and Old Laundry Cottage GV II* (TQ 58395346 - sited from HHR map) Cottage Row. C16 with later C19 fronts to right. L-shaped. Nos 1 and 2, (to left). Underbuilt in red and blue brick on ground floor, close-studded timber-framing on first floor with plaster infill. Plain tiled roof with gabled semi-dormer to left, 2 gabled dormers in centre and jettied gable. Second storey of central tower to right. Two front off-ridge stacks at left and centre. Two-storey and attic; irregular fenestration, 2 casements on first floor, 3 on ground floor. Boarded door at extreme left, 1/2-glazed doors off-centre to left and at extreme right. Tall door under central tower with small door on second floor. Nos 3 and 4 (to right). Red and blue brick chequer below, fish-scale and plain tile-hanging above. Plain tiled roof with central shallow tile-hung return gable and 2 heavily moulded ridge stacks. Two storeys; irregular 4 window front, casements. Boarded doors with overlights, at extreme left and off-centre to right. Old Laundry Cottage. Return wing to rear of No 4 red brick ground floor. Fish-scale and plain tile-hanging above. Plain tiled roof of 2 pitches, that to right slightly higher, matching slight projection of wall over face below. One bay of close-studded timber-framing with plaster infill to right. Left-hand between gable with moulded bargeboards. Central chimney-breast, projecting, with stack. Ridge stack off-centre to right. Two storeys; irregular 2 window front, casements. Left-hand entrance with half-glazed door. Rear of whole range timber-framed with plaster infilling, the wing to the left being Old Laundry Cottage. Gabled 3-storey centre with small cupola over, almost on axis with Ightham. Mote west front. This whole range may once have provided Ightham Mote with an outer court. (2) Not mentioned in The Buildings of England. (3)

Tree-ring analysis of samples taken form the east bay of the cottage. It appears that the roof and other parts of the east bay consist of timbers felled in the early seventeenth century. (4)

Further dendrochronology dating gave a date of c.1475. (5)

Results of archaeological investigation (6-7)

<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<2> DOE (HHR) Dist of Tonbridge & Malling, Kent May 1984 12 (OS Card Reference). SKE40395.

<3> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37841.

<4> Ancient Monuments Laboratory, 2000, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from the East Bay, Laundry Cottage, Ightham Mote, Ivy Hatch, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12152.

<5> Vernacular Architecture Group, ADS Dendrochronology Database, Vol. 25, Pg. 36 (Website). SKE17391.

<6> Peter Leach and Peter Rumley, 2004, Archaeological Studies Undertaken During Building Restoration Work 1989 Onwards of Ightham Mote, Ivy Hatch (Unpublished document). SKE17653.

<7> National Trust, ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES UNDERTAKEN DURING BUILDING RESTORATION WORK 1989 ONWARDS of IGHTHAM MOTE, IVY HATCH, KENT (Unpublished document). SKE7424.

Sources and further reading