HADLOW CARPENTERS LANE TQ 65 SW 3/15 Costens (Park End Cottages on O.S.) ) II House, formerly 2 cottages. Probably late C16/early C17 origins, massively rebuilt in early C18, the 2 cottages were knocked together and modernised circa 1980. Blocks of ragstone laid to rough courses with red brick dressings, each gable end is English bond red brick above first floor level; brick stacks and chimneyshafts; peg-tile roof. Plan: Formerly a pair of mirror-plan cottages facing south east. Each central front doorway was direct entry into the larger outer room with a gable-end stack. Originally stairs rose behind the front doors; they no longer remain. Inner service rooms formerly shared a C19 rear lateral stack with was demolished circa 1980. Present stair was built circa 1980 in right service room and rises from secondary rear outshots. The roof structure suggests late C16/early C17 origins. Maybe the timbers are reused but they may suggest earlier origins. House is 2 storey with lean-to single-storey outshots to rear. Exterior: Overall 4-window front of replacement C20 casements with glazing bars. Each former cottage has a symmetrical 2-window arrangement about a central doorway, both containing C20 glazed doors. Doorways and ground floor windows have low segmental arches. Doorways and all the windows have brick quoins and brick quoins to each end corner. Brick flat band at first floor level and brick eaves cornice including cogged bricks. Roof is gable-ended. Rear dormer windows of circa 1980. Interior: Modernised circa 1970 but circa 1700 structure is essentially intact. The end rooms have brick fireplaces with plain oak lintels (the left one replaced) and both once had ovens. Both rooms have chamfered crossbeams, the lefcone with step stops. Throughout the house there is a great deal of reused timber from a late C16/early 17 house. The roof is carried on 6 collared tie-beam trusses with clasped side purlins and queen struts. These are probably reused but may indicate that the cottages included part of the shell of an earlier timber-framed house. _ Listing NGR: TQ6279251063