(TQ 7048) Benover House (NAT). (1) Benover House. Grade II* Early to mid 16th century, with late 16th 17th and late 18th century or early 19th century alterations, restored 1986 (for full description see list). (2)

Description from record TQ 74 NW 148:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
YALDING BENOVER ROAD TO 74 NW (South-west side) 4/68 Benover House 23-5-67 GV II*
Farmhouse, now house. Early-to-mid C16, with later C16, C17 and late C18 or early C19 alterations, restored 1986. Timber framed, with rendered infilling. Gable ends red and grey brick in Flemish bond to ground floor, weatherboarded above. Plain tile roof. 4 timber-framed bays; single- bay open hall with storeyed end bay to left, storeyed bay to right incorporating undershot cross-passage, and a further storeyed bay to right of that which was partly rebuilt at a later date. Open hall probably floored later in C16, and jettied to front with gable over. 2 storeys and garret on rendered plinth. Broadly-spaced studding to left end bay, two right bays, and ground floor of left-central bay (open hall), with inserted studs giving impression of close-studding. First floor and gable of left- central bay close-studded, first floor jettied on solid-spandrel brackets, with roll-moulded bressumer higher than midrails of left end and right- central bays. Lower midrail to right end bay. Underbuilt gable end jetties to left and right. Pair of arch braces to each of left end and right-central bays, and single straighter brace to right end. Roof hipped to left with gablet, half-hipped to right. Half-hipped gable with moulded bargeboards to left-central bay (mortices suggest originally fully gabled and jettied like first floor). Large projecting red and grey brick stack in English bond, with offsets and two corniced flues, on ragstone base, to left gable end. Large projecting stack to rear of left-central bay, of galleted ragstone, with stone slab shoulders and red and grey brick flue. Irregular fenestration of 5 paned casements; one three-light to each end bay, one four-light to left-central bay, and one two-light to right- central bay. Ribbed door to left end of right-central bay. Rear lean-to to two right bays. Single-storey 1970's weatherboarded addition with end stack and half-hipped plain tile roof, to rear of right gable end. Interior: exposed framing. Roll-moulded left end-of-hall beam and chamfered right beam, each with chamfered plank-and-muntin partition under it. Possible evidence for moulded spear towards front end of left partition. Broad plank door towards centre of right partition. Roll-moulded midrail to right end of rear hall wall. Right-central bay subdivided. Deep pegged doorhead to front of central stud and mortices for another adjacent towards rear, in right wall of cross-passage. Left and right end ground- floor rooms have chamfered axial joists, those to right end plainer. Gunstock-jowled principal posts. Plain crown posts, to each end of hall and between two right bays. Morticed collars. Right end bay is separately framed from main range, with lower first and attic floors, but roof structure (excluding wallplates) is continuous except for rebuilt half hip. Moulded axial beam and hollow-chamfered joists to inserted hall floor. C16 or early C17 stone fireplace with stone kerb and moulded jambs and bressumer, to first floor left end room. Large stone fireplace with moulded stone jambs and (renewed?) bressumer to rear of hall on ground floor. Smaller, more simply moulded stone fireplace with four-centred-arched stone head with hollow spandrels, and elliptical brick back, to first floor above. Chamfered axial beams to inserted attic floor. Shutter groove to right gable end on first floor. Three-light hollow-chamfered mullion window to right of ground-floor hall fireplace. Listing NGR: TQ7046048245 (3)

<1> OS 1:2500 1967 (OS Card Reference). SKE48209.

<2> DOE (HHR) District of Maidstone Kent 14 October 1987 51 (OS Card Reference). SKE40500.

<3> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.