TQ 53 37 SPELDHURST GROOMBRIDGE HILL (west side), OLD GROOMBRIDGE 16/518 The Cottage GV II House. According to the owner a resident of Old Groombridge had his grandmother's diary which mentions a visit to the house when under construction in 1835. Renovated circa 1980 with new kitchen extension. Coursed sandstone with sandstone ashlar dressings. Stone or brick stacks with banded stone chimneyshafts. Peg-tile roof. Plan: Basically a T-plan house facing south east. Main rooms in a 2-room plan crosswing projecting forward from left (south west) end of front. Both rooms heated by lateral stacks backing onto the entrance hall which separates principal rooms from former kitchen block with projecting gable-end stack. Present kitchen in circa 1980 extension to rear of original kitchen. 2 storeys with cellar under front end of parlour crosswing. Exterior: Irregular 1:1:1-window front. Most of the windows are C20 replacement casements but some originals survive with margin panes. First floor window to left (in front end of crosswing) is a canted bay window with sandstone roof and base, both tapering in a curve to a ball. There is a smaller version over the front doorway. Other windows have plain stone architraves. Doorway up 3 stone steps contains original panelled door with full height side lights and overlight behind a C20 ornamental trellis porch. Front end of crosswing is gable-ended, so too is entrance bay and there is a small gable over the right first floor window, all have plain bargeboards with apex pendants. Flat band projects at first floor level and carries on round the left end across the garden (south west) front. This is 3 bays each with a gable over. Right 2 bays in same style as entrance front including French windows in the centre bay. Left bay contains paired 12-pane sashes under flat stone arches. 3 gables over. C20 extension to rear in a sympathetic style with Gothic-style glazing bars to the windows. Interior: Contains a great deal of C19 joinery detail. Stairs rise to right of front doorway; open string with shaped brackets, stick balusters and mahogany handrail. Roof of tie-beam trusses with clasped side purlins but is C19. The Cottage forms part of an attractive gorup of listed buildings on Groombridge Hill overlooking Groombridge Place (q.v.) and Old Groombridge village. Listing NGR: TQ5325837961