NETTLESTEAD MAIDSTONE ROAD TQ 65 SE (East side) 1/8 Nettlestead Place/ 25-7-52 The Gatehouse GV I Gatehouse. Early C14. Ground floor roughly coursed ragstone, first floor timber framed with rendered infilling. Plain tile roof. 2 storeys, ground floor tall. West side (towards road) jettied, with brackets flanking carriage entrance only. First floor apparently subdivided by principal posts into three timber-framed bays, each with central stud and pair of tension braces (except west side of north bay, which has one brace). Broadly-spaced studding and arch braces to gable ends. Steeply-pitched hipped roof with gablets. Early C14 two-light first-floor window under eaves to centre of west side, one light each side of central stud, each light with tracery of mouchettes which suggests former subdivision into two almost ogee-headed lights. Tall carriage entrance occupies south half of ground floor, the west side of it having moulded ashlar jambs each with broach stop, chamfered plinth, and corbelled head supporting wooden bressumer. Hinges for double doors immediately behind jambs. At east end, north jamb is of unchamfered dressed stone, and south jamb is formed by buttress kith single offset. Similar buttress to north-east end of gatehouse. Under carriage entrance, set towards centre of north wall, a low and very narrow chamfered stone doorway with Caernavon-arched head gives access to ground-floor room. Interior: not inspected. Ground- floor room subsequently subdivided into two storeys, with two-light north window. Carriage entrance has plain-chamfered axial beam of heavy scantling and broad close-set joists; this arrangement appears to be continued to north end of gatehouse, providing floor for single first-floor room. Roof said to have two octagonal crown posts, each with square, scroll-moulded capital. Mid-to-late C15 barn of eight timber-framed bays adjoined south end of gatehouse until burnt down in 1962. (S.E. Rigold, Some Major Kentish Timber Barns, in Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. LXXXI, 1966. Country Life 16th October 1958.) Listing NGR: TQ6854552056