Listed Building: THE BLACK HOUSE (1267773)

GILLINGHAM TQ86NW LOWER RAINHAM ROAD, Lower Rainham 686-1/8/78 (North side) 14/02/94 The Black House II Farmhouse, worker's cottage, converted and derelict at time of survey. Early-mid C17 with mid C19 windows. Timber-frame clad in weatherboarding with brick end wall, and corrugated-iron roof hipped to W end. PLAN: 2-bay hall house, originally with smoke bay at east end. EXTERIOR: 2-storey; irregular fenestration. N front has one mid C19 square casement but others are concealed by weatherboarding. The structure appears to be the two surviving bays of a 3-bay house. Opening at first-floor level on N front indicates that the W first-floor room was used for storage. INTERIOR: has a complete frame except for E wall, which was rebuilt in brick when former lath and plaster smoke bay was converted to a chimney. Ground-floor E room has chamfered spine beam with lamb's tongue stop, W room has chamfered floor hoists. C18 wooden winder stair. First-floor C17 floorboards and fireplace with wooden bressumer and curved back. Roof has coupled rafters without ridge piece, collar beams with carpenter's marks and lath and plaster partition. Frame has jowled posts and diagonal tension braces. The large fireplace on the ground floor was reduced in size in the early C19 and a 4-panelled door to the winder stair dates from this time. HISTORY: behind the weatherboarding is the substantially intact frame of a 3-bay C17 farmhouse, and included for historic interest. Listing NGR: TQ8130267677