Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1400 to 1747. A large house with a timber framed core dating to the early to mid 15th century. There is a continuos jetty along the left side of the left wing. It was extended in the late 15th to early 16th century, to have a cross wing at the rear. It was altered again and another wing was added in the late 16th to early 17th century. There were more alterations and additions in the mid 17th century and again in 1747. The left wing is brick to the front with brick infill to the broad spaced studding on the ground floor of the left side. The first floor, above, is tile-hung. The rest is mainly of brick on ground floor level and tile-hung above. All the roofs are tiled.

Monument Types

• HOUSE (Medieval to Modern - 1400 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 74 SW 9 :
[TQ 7357 4222] Great Cheveney House [NAT] (sited from HHR map). (1) Great Cheveney House and Great Cheveney House South, Grade II*, Goudhurst Road. House. 15th century, with alterations and additions of late 15th century or early 16th century, late 16th century or early17th century, mid 17th century and 1747. (For full description see list.) [TQ 736 422] Great Cheveney House and Great Cheveney House South, westside of Goudhurst Road. 15th century with additions up to the mid 17th century. (2)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 74 SW MARDEN GOUDHURST ROAD (west side)
3/47 Great Cheveney House and Great 23.5.67 Cheveney House South
GV II*
House. C15, with alterations and additions of late C15 or early C16, late C16 or early C17, mid C17, and 1747. Timber framed core. Left wing red and grey brick in Flemish bond to front, and brick infilling to broadly-spaced studding to left side of ground floor, first floor tile-hung. Front wing and central rear wing brick on ground floor (part of front wing in English bond) and tile-hung above. Main range and right side of front wing red brick in Flemish bond with thin mortar joints. Plain tile roofs. C15 open hall of 2 timber-framed bays, formerly also with storeyed end bays, that to right re-built or extended in C15 or early C16 to project to rear as cross-wing (central rear wing). Storeyed left end bay altered in late C16 or early C17, and a cross-wing (left wing) of 3 timber- framed bays added to its left side, projecting to rear. Mid C17 wing (front wing) of 2 timber-framed bays built projecting forwards from front elevation of storeyed left end bay and narrow left hall bay of C15 section. Right hall bay refaced, and storeyed right end bay rebuilt (except section projecting to rear), and extended to right in 1747 (main range). 2 storeys, attic and basement. Continuous jetty to long left side of left wing. Plat band to main range and to right side of front wing. Boxed eaves to main range. Roof of left wing hipped to front, with slightly lower eaves than front wing, and half-hipped to rear. Roof of front wing hipped to front with same eaves line as main range. Central rear wing half-hipped to rear. Main range roofed in two spans, with hip to right end. Early-to-mid C17 stack with 3 octagonal flues on moulded rectangular plinth set across ridge towards centre of left wing. Projecting early-to-mid C17 brick stack in English bond with moulded brick cornice to base of rectangular flue, to left side of front wing. Brick stack in rear slope of roof towards left end of main range (to right end of left hall bay). 2 hipped dormers to main range. Irregular fenestration of 5 windows; one four-light diamond mullion window and one small six- paned light to front gable end of left wing, and three recessed 16- pane sashes to main range, one to left and two to right of door. 2 recessed 16-pane sashes to right side of front wing. Splayed rubbed brick voussoirs to ground-floor windows of main range. Further wood mullion windows to rear of wings. Boarded door under flat bracketed hood to front gable end of left wing. Panelled door with two top lights in panelled recess, with flat bracketed hood, to left end of former storeyed right end bay. Further panelled door to rear of hall. Brick over ground-floor window of main range carved with initials and date E * M 1747. Sash window to right gable end has, scratched on pane, 1761 James (Peachy?). Interior: only partly inspected. Exposed framing. Chamfered beams. Smoke-blackened crown- post roof to former open hall, with octagonal crown post with square moulded capital and base. Moulded octagonal crown post to central rear wing. Clasped-purlin roof to left and front wings. Staggered butt purlin roof to right end bays. Late C16 or early C17 fireplace to left end of hall. Slightly later stack to left wing, with plain brick ground-floor fireplace, elliptical brick first-floor fireplace with catered bressumer, and graffiti date of 1656 in attic. Plank and muntin right end-of-hall partition re-used as shelves. C17 panelling to ground floor of right hall bay. Sections of C17 staircase with splat balusters and moulded handrail. Three-plank doors. Lath-and-plaster partition to attic of front wing, said to be pen for fighting cocks. Complete brick stack, bread oven and copper stand to ground floor of front wing. Panelled C18 internal shutters to ground-floor windows of main range. (K. Gravett, unpublished analysis, 1980s).Listing NGR: TQ7358142242 (4)

<1> OS 1:10000 1971 (OS Card Reference). SKE48156.

<3> DOE (HHR) district of Maidstone Kent 23 March 1987 31-32 (OS Card Reference). SKE40507.

<3> K Gravett unpublished analysis 1980s (OS Card Reference). SKE45208.

<4> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading