TQ 54 SW SPELDHURST POUNDSBRIDGE LANE 3/540 Nos 1, 2 and 3 Silcocks Cottages 15.5.74 II Former farmhouse, now divided into 3 cottages. Early/mid C16, some late C17 additions, minor C19 and C20 modernisations. Timber-framed. Some is underbuilt with painted brick, much of the framing is plastered over and some is hung with peg-tile. Brick stacks, the older one on a coursed sandstone base, brick chimneyshafts. Peg-tile roof. Plan: Row of 3 one-room plan cottages facing west north west, say west. The cottages have been made by subdividing a large farmhouse. The C16 farmhouse has a 3-room-and-through-passage plan with the service end at the left north end. Originally it was divided into 2 by an axial partition. The other side of the passage was the hall and at the right end a parlour in a crosswing projecting a short distance to rear. An axial stack between hall and parlour served back-to-back fireplaces. The hall was apparently floored from the beginning and presumably the hall was then used as a kitchen. In the late C17 the service end was upgraded. The service partition was removed and a new end stack built, a one-room plan extension built to the rear containing a new stair and the service outshot built on that end. No 1 occupies the upgraded service end. The lower passage partition has been removed. No 2 occupies the former hall and No 3 occupies the parlour crosswing. The axial stack was rebuilt in the late C19 or early C20. 2 storeys with attics in the roofspace. Exterior: Tall house with an irregular 5-window front (including the left end outshot) of C20 casements with glazing bars. All 3 cottages have C20 part- glazed panelled doors. No 1 and 2 have C19 reeded doorframes and No 3 has a C20 gabled porch. Tall roof is hipped both ends and to left it is carried down over the outshot there. The parlour end (No 3) has a front gable lower than the main roof and extends a short distance to a rear gable. Some of the framing is exposed to rear. Interior: Despite the loss of the original stack the C16 house is very well preserved. Wall framing of large scantling and no tension braces can be seen in places. Some of the framing at the front of the parlour section has been replaced. The beams throughout are unusually large and are chamfered with canted step stops. Joists are chamfered with step stops at ground floor level. The hall has a large 4-panel intersecting beam ceiling. The timbers in the chamber over the parlour (No 3) retain traces of C16 painted decoration. The original stair at the back of the parlour crosswing (also No 3) is a most impressive affair; a newel stair with solid steps rising round an enormous newel posts. Roof of tie-beam trusses on wall posts with formed jowls and has clasped side purlins with queen struts. What is unusual is that, apart from the parlour crosswing roof, the tie beams are set well above the second floor level. There is room between the attic floor and the wall plate for diamond mullion windows, some of which can be seen in the attics. The large hall chamber was divided in the C17 by a square-panel framed crosswall. The late C17 fireplace in the former service end (No 1) is of sandstone ashlar and although the soffit of the oak lintel has been cut away it is of parlour status. Straight flight stair in the rear block and doorways off its landing have chamfered surrounds with scroll stops. The rear room has a chamfered crossbeam with runout stops. Roof construction of the extensions this end is of staggered butt purlin construction. This is a very good C16 house, larger than most contemporary farmhouses and with some good C17 improvements. Listing NGR: TQ5357240425