YALDING BENOVER ROAD TQ 6949 (South-west side) 7/63 Nightingale Farmhouse II* Farmhouse. C14 or early C15, with C16 alterations, C17 addition, and C19 and C20 facade. Timber framed. Front of main range rendered, left gable end painted brick on ground floor, tile-hung above. Darkened weatherboarding to right gable end. C17 addition painted brick in Flemish bond to ground floor, first floor tile-hung to left side and front, rendered to right side. Plain tile roof. Main range comprises the left bay of a former quasi- aisled open hall, with an integral two-storey, two-bay cross-wing to left, flush with front wall of open hall and stopping at rear arcade post, a few feet short of rear wall of hall. The gap is infilled with a two- storey aisle or stairhead to the rear gable end of-the cross-wing, probably integral, or possibly the result of a slightly later contraction of the cross-wing (but relatively unusual in this area). Hall aisle wall-plates raised to same height as cross-wing 'aisle', (without contraction of aisles), probably by C17 . C17 addition of 2 timber-framed bays and stack bay, running forwards from front gable end of cross-wing, extending slightly further left than cross-wing, and also slightly overlapping hall. Front aisle wall-plate raised again to full two-storey height, and ridge also raised, probably after C17. Main range 2 storeys, C17 addition 2 storeys and garret. Painted brick plinth to main range. Underbuilt jetty to long left side of C17 addition. Front eaves of main range are same height as wall-plate of long left side of left cross-wing. Rear eaves are same height as wall-plate of rear 'aisle' of cross-wing. Cross-wing roof is hipped to rear, carried down to 'aisle' wall-plate and returned along rear of hall. Main range gabled to right. A very short section at right gable end, covering former central hall truss, remains with lower ridge and evenly-pitched roof. C17 addition has slightly higher eaves and ridge than left cross-wing, and gabled roof. Multiple brick ridge stack to rear end of C17 addition. Brick ridge stack to right gable. end of main range (right end of long left hall bay). One two-light attic casement to gable of C17 addition. Irregular fenestration of 2 three-light casements, one to gable end of C17 addition and one to main range, each with similar ground-floor casement under. Sides of C17 addition unfenestrated on first floor. Ribbed door to right end of front gable end of addition, and boarded door with flat bracketed hood under main-range stack. Lean-to to right, set back from front gable end, rendered to front, weatherboarded to right side, with plain tile roof, and with boarded door to front. Interior: partly exposed framing. Base-cruck truss to former centre of open hall. Blades unjointed. Plain-chamfered rear blade has original aisle wall-plate trenched across back of the 'elbow', and arcade plate trenched across apex of blade. Plain-chamfered arch brace to tie-beam (normal assembly). Present aisle wall-plate, of lighter scantling, is carried on studs tenoned into the lower plate. Base of front base- cruck blade and arch-brace visible. Some aisle wall-posts visible. Cross- wing has cross joists to 'aisle' and to rear half of rear bay, and axial joists to front half of bay (possibly with stair trimmer) and to front bay. Possible evidence for a former front gable end jetty, and for partition between 'aisle' and rear bay. First floor of cross-wing has long shaped jowls to end principal posts, gunstock jowl (aligned with wall) to central truss, and cambered, arch-braced central tie-beam. Rear 'aisle' has gunstock jowls and cambered chamfered tie-beams. Remains of (C16?) timber stack to right end of former left hall bays low cross beam pegged to left side of rear base-cruck blade and supporting angled strut with remains of daub flue-wall. Further cross beam, possibly associated with timber stack, tenoned to lower aisle wall-plate about 5' left of base- cruck truss, with pegged stud under. Inserted hall floor with unbevelled axial joists tenoned to the cross beam. C17 addition has one two-bay room with chamfered cross beam and tenoned axial beams, to each floor. Principal posts of large scantling, with chamfered gunstock jowls. Panelled door to stairs to right of stack. Brick ground-floor fireplace with cambered bressumer. Small first-floor fireplace with moulded surround, panel carved with scrolled motif, pulvinated frieze above panel, and moulded mantel-shelf. Blocked (late C17 (C18?)) fireplace, with ragstone base, brick dressings and wooden bressumer, between cross beam and base-cruck truss in hall. C17 addition has side-purlin roof with windbraces, ceiled above collar, and with morticesfor four-light diamond mullion front attic-window. Rest of roof not inspected. Comparatively few base-cruck trusses have so far been noted in Kent. See also Benover Road, Burnt Oak. Listing NGR: TQ6983149231