TR 03 NE ALDINGTON ROMAN ROAD (south side) 4/51 Cobb's Hall 13.10.52 II* House. Circa 1525-1530, altered early C19. Timber framed, close- studded and exposed with plaster and painted brick infill, with red brick to return and ragstone, red brick and some tile hanging to rear and right return elevations. Plain tiled roof. Four bay (3 full bay and firebay) continuous jettied lobby entry plan. Two storeys on ragstone plinth, with jetty with moulded bresummer on brackets (and underbuilt at left and right ends by projecting brick walls of return elevations). Hipped roof with swept-out eaves. Moulded stack to centre left. Three wooden casements on 1st floor (leaded lights to left and to right), and 2 tripartite casements on ground floor with small light to end right. Original entry to centre left, now bricked in with applied timber studding over, present entry by half-glazed door in right return. Rear elevation: built early C19 (dated 1817) with 18 inch thick ragstone walling, with red brick dressings to small wooden casements on both floors, with brick 2 storey bargeboarded gable block and single storey kitchen extension. Late C20 glazed conservatory on ragstone base. Interior: clasped purlin with windbrace roof, reeded and stop chamfered ceiling beams and joists; chimney bresummers with fernleaf and flower enriched spandrels and painted overmantel (in scallop pattern, now papered over) on ground floor, plaster overmantel on upper floor with 3 scenes of Adam and Eve separated by 4 columns. Upper great chamber with plaster ceiling with shallow bosses and fleur-de-lys. Corridors inserted in both floors to give access to rear elevation, where the small casements (9 x 12 inches to exterior) are splayed to 18 inch square internally, set 4 feet off floor level (musket height) with a larger ground floor opening (for a cannon). Formerly said to have been part of the defences of Romney Marsh against Napoleon, these features are as likely to have belonged to a Watch House of the Preventive services (one opening initialled and dated 1817 seems to support this). Traditionally associated with the Holy Maid of Kent (Elizabeth Barton), born 1506, whose prophecies (1525-34) in particular against Henry VIII's first divorce, led to her execution (with others). She was maid servant to Thomas Cobb, steward to the Archbishop of Canterbury's estates in Aldington. Other sources place Goldwell (see item 4/39 ) as the scene of those events, and since Cobb died at Goldwell in 1528, it suggests Cobb's Hall may not then have been built/completed for him and may not be as early as previously believed (said to be one of the earliest continuous jettied houses known in rural areas). (See E.W. Parkin, Archaeological 86, 1971; Alan Neame, Elizabeth Barton, Nun of Kent). Listing NGR: TR0666936276