Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The north-western range of 139 London Road was probably originally built as a detached C18 house of two storeys, attics and basement; of three bays with a central entrance and two end chimneystacks. It was in use as an ale house which later became a public house. First it was called the King and Queen, subsequently The Swan, and was identified as the Rock and Fountain Beer House in the 1881 Census. On the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1871 a rear range had already been added and there was a separate L-shaped building shown in the yard, possibly stabling or some other outbuilding. By the 1896 Map a projecting single storey extension had been added to the northern half of the frontage and by the 1909 edition there was an extension across the whole of the front.

Monument Types

• HOUSE (Post Medieval to Unknown - 1700 AD?)
• PUBLIC HOUSE (Post Medieval to Unknown - 1800 AD?)

Full description

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In 2014 139 London Road, Sevenoaks was considered for listing by English Heritage. The decision was taken that the building was not suitable for listing but was still of local interest. They described the building as follows:

"The north-western range of 139 London Road was probably originally built as a detached C18 house of two storeys, attics and basement; of three bays with a central entrance and two end chimneystacks. It was in use as an ale house which later became a public house. First it was called the King and Queen, subsequently The Swan, and was identified as the Rock and Fountain Beer House in the 1881 Census. On the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1871 a rear range had already been added and there was a separate L-shaped building shown in the yard, possibly stabling or some other outbuilding. By the 1896 Map a projecting single storey extension had been added to the northern half of the frontage and by the 1909 edition there was an extension across the whole of the front.

In the late 1950s the building was converted into a car showroom with a much deeper single storey extension added to the front. At the same time a separate flat was created on the upper floors reached by a new external staircase. Further changes included the removal of chimney breasts on the south side, the replacement of some sash windows, the insertion of new doors, partition walls and ceilings, and floors were raised.

The most interesting part of the building is the C18 front range. The C19 brick rear range is plain and has had mid C20 windows inserted on both floors, and a mid C20 external iron staircase now provides access to the upper floors of the building. It is clearly not of special interest and neither is the 1970s ground floor car showroom extension. As originally built the C18 front range was probably fairly similar in building materials, though larger and detached, to the range of C18 cottages known as 141-151 London Road adjoining (listed at Grade II), with a brick ground floor, a timber-framed first floor hung with tiles, a tiled roof and casement windows.

The original C18 plan of the front range appears to have been a two storey, attics and basement house of three bays house with end chimneystacks and central entrance. This plan was modified by the middle of the C19 when a further rear range was added and from the 1890s onwards when bar extensions were added to the front, eradicated by a much larger mid C20 car showroom extension. Also in the mid C20 one of the side chimneybreasts was removed. It is not now possible to work out the original room use or circulation. The ground floor does not retain original room partitions and no original staircase survives in the front range between the ground floor and attics. Only on the first floor does most of the original plan survive with two large rooms divided by an original partition, although there is now no indication of where the original staircase was. The attic floor, clearly originally used for accommodation because of the survival of the dormer windows, is no longer in use as such following the heightening of the first floor ceiling in the 1970s.

The most striking internal feature is the exposed C18 timber frame to the larger of the two first floor rooms and it is probable that this continues throughout the adjoining room of the front range although it is not visible at present. This timber frame is exposed on the front and side walls, the partition wall between the two rooms and the lower part of the former attic now incorporated into this floor. However it is clear from the surviving nail holes that the frame was not originally exposed but would have been plastered, and traces of plaster remain in the attic. The central spine beam was removed when the ceiling was heightened in the mid C20 and this room now takes in the lower part of the former attic. Surviving pre-C20 fittings in the C18 range comprise one chamfered spine beam on the ground floor, the staircase from the basement to ground floor, which is C19 with standard newel posts of the period, and a four-panelled C19 door in the basement. No internal fittings survive from the building's use as an ale house or public house, except perhaps for the two openings in the side wall at basement level, which could be barrel shutes, and the brick floor in the basement, originally used for storage. No signage remains from the building's use as a public house.

The C18 north-west range retains the external walls from basement to attic and one of its original two
external chimneystacks. The roof structure with purlins and collars also survives with the addition of some C20 secondary supporting timbers. The front wall has been rendered and one of the side walls has been hung with C20 concrete tiles, and C20 openings have been inserted at ground level. The front does retain two original hipped dormers with six-paned windows and a moulded wooden eaves cornice. The first floor window openings remain, although the windows were not present at the time of inspection (from recent photographs these appeared to be mid C19 four-panelled sash windows), and a central door. The ground floor retains one triple casement but the other openings are blocked, but a large central flat-roofed wooden porch survives, probably C19.

Despite the survival of this original fabric, the C18 range only accounts for a small proportion of the
buildings's footprint, which is otherwise C19 and C20, and does not survive substantially intact. With one exception the internal partitions are C20 and no original fireplaces or staircase remain. In the mid C20 the floors and ceilings were raised and the doors replaced except for a C19 door in the basement.

The building has no known historical associations with any figures of national importance but it certainly has local historical interest for its community interest as a public house or ale house, documented as such since the 1881 Census but probably in use as an ale house from a much earlier date.

139 London Road does adjoin nos 141-151 London Road which are listed at Grade II and are of a similar age and character.

To sum up, the C18 front range constitutes only a small proportion of the building and although the external walls, roof structure and many windows or window openings survive on the front elevation, the original plan form and circulation have been altered, few original fittings either of a private house or public house survive and internally mid C20 partitions and doors were inserted and ceilings and floors were heightened when the property was converted into a car showroom. The building certainly has some local historical interest as an ale house, possibly in use as such as early as the C18, and adjoins a Grade II listed C18 terrace, but does not possess special interest in its own right (1)

Historic England, National Heritage List for England, Listing notification report 22/10/2014 (Index). SKE29372.

Sources and further reading