Farmhouse, worker's cottage, converted and derelict at time of survey. Early-mid 17th century with mid 19th century windows. Timber-frame clad in weatherboarding with brick end wall, and corrugated-iron roof hipped to west end.

PLAN: Two-bay hall house, originally with smoke bay at east end.

EXTERIOR: Two-storey; irregular fenestration. North front has one mid 19th century square casement but others are concealed by
weatherboarding. The structure appears to be the two surviving bays of a three-bay house. Opening at first-floor level on north front indicates that the west first-floor room was used for storage.

INTERIOR: has a complete frame except for east wall, which was rebuilt in brick when former lath and plaster smoke bay was converted to a chimney. Ground-floor east room has chamfered spine beam with lamb's tongue stop, west room has chamfered floor hoists. Eighteenth century wooden winder stair. First-floor 17th century 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 19th century and a four-panelled door to the winder stair dates from this time.

HISTORY: Behind the weatherboarding is the substantially intact frame of a three-bay 17th century farmhouse, and included for historic interest.(1)

Evaluation trenching within and next to Black House. Internally evidence of deposits relating to the floors of the present building were found. These sealed earlier features associated with medieval domestic occupation on the site (TQ 86 NW 201). Trenching outside the building uncovered the location of a robbed out later chimney stack and a brick floor of an associated small building shown on the first three Ordinance Survey 6" maps. Its original function is unclear, but it was later used as a coal shed. The date of its construction and demolition are not clear.(2) A full structural survey of the house traced it's mid-16th century origins through to later developments in the 18th and 19th century. (4)

Description from record TQ 86 NW 1154:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:

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

Archaeology South-East, 1996, A Brief Archaeological Interpretative Study of The Black House, Riverside Country Park, Lower Rainham Road, Gillingham, Kent. (Unpublished document). SKE54734.

<1> Department of Heritage, 1994, Listed Building Description for Black House, Lower Rainham Road, Gillingham (Unpublished document). SKE12447.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2003, An Archaeological Evaluation in Advance of a Proposed Refurbishment of the Black House, Lower Rainham Road, Gillingham (Unpublished document). SKE12446.

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