Listed Building record TQ 44 SE 89 - PRIORS CROFT

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 5280 COWDEN COWDEN Spode Lane Priors Croft TQ 4640 8/334
II
2. Late C15 or early Cl6 very small hall house with altered front and later extensions 2 storeys, 3 windows, irregular. High pitched tiled roof with long hip at left, end cut off. Hip brought down as lean-to at right. One visible bay post. Tile hung 1st floor, brick and rubble ground floor. Coursed freestone base to projecting chimney breast with very tall compound stack above. Iron casements with leaded panes. Rear view shows exposed framing with plaster filling above, coursed and random rubble, with red brick dressings below. Inglenook and much exposed timber inside.
Listing NGR: TQ4642540675

Historic building recording was carried out at the site in 2017. In the report compiled following this work, the first phase of construction was identified as the early to mid 16th century when the structure was created. The building initially comprised a thatched three-bay barn which would have originally had an agricultural function such as the storage of hay or straw (evidenced by the presence of two diagonal supporting shores within the structure).
The building was subdivided into two cottages during the late 17th to early 18th century. Doors to the cottages were added to the south elevation and each cottage had a single room at ground level and two rooms in the floor above. A central staircase provided access to the first floor rooms.
In the late 18th or early 19th century the building underwent another phase of remodelling comprising the subdivision of the ground floor in the eastern cottage, the addition of two single storey outshots to the east and west sides of the house, the construction of new porches over both front entrance doors, and the insertion of a rear door with another porch to the western cottage. Interior alterations also included the addition of iron ranges to the ground floor fireplaces of both cottages, and the addition of a fireplace to the first floor level of the western cottage.
The final phase of alterations took placer in the 20th century when the side extensions were demolished and rebuilt to provide two storey accommodation, the addition of partition walls in the structure, re-tiling the roof with peg tiles, and adding two bathrooms at ground floor level.
Significant aspects which were identified during the survey included a number of Apotropaic burn marks on posts and cross beam(s) of the structure. (2)

<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<2> Archaeological Services Lewes, 2017, Historic building record for Priors Croft, Cowden, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE52940.