The following text is from the original listed building designation:
WEST MALLING
TQ6837 KING STREET 1156-0/3/102 Nos.16 AND 18 Prior's Cottage and The Priors
GV II*
House (one property despite 2 names). Probably C15 open hall house of 4 bays (No 18) with integral projecting cross wing (No 16) with C16 inserted ceiling and windows, restored C20. Timber-framed building with plaster infill and steeply pitched tiled roof with large external brick stack to No 18 and renewed stack to No 16. No 18 is of 2 storeys 4 windows. Framing exposed with curved tension braces. Roof has gablet to left-hand side. Front has 4 original mullioned windows to 1st floor with leaded lights. Ground floor has 3 original mullioned windows and right-hand inserted 5-light mullioned oriel window on brackets, also with leaded lights. Arched doorcase with recessed spandrels. C19 cast-iron fluted water pump in front of chimneystacks. No 16 is also of 2 storeys 4 bays. Timber-framed with plaster infill. Right-side rear ground floor is of whitewashed rubble and is on a rubble and brick plinth. Front has gable with curved tension braces and pattern to attic. Jetty. 1st floor has paired original mullioned window. Ground floor has restored mullioned window. Left side elevation has 1 mullioned window and 2 curved tension braces. Right side has 5 restored mullions on 1st floor and ground floor has one set of paired mullions. C20 recessed wooden cupboard door in antique style. Modern penticed porch in timber-framing on stone rubble plinth with tiled roof to rear. Dining room, a former open hall, has a fine C16 chestnut roll-moulded inserted ceiling. Hall has beams with run-out stops and ground floor room to extreme left has an open fireplace with wooden bressumer. Open fireplace to right-hand front room. Crown posts with head braces and collar purlins and gunstock jowled posts. The framing in both parts of the building appears identical.
Listing NGR: TQ6803257908

A building survey was carried out in 2008 to enable a programme a repair and alteration to take place. The survey detected five phases of construction. Phase 1 is entirely lost and only visible archaeologically. The phases ran through to Phase 5 which was early/mid 17th century date. The report contained a statement of significance that concluded that "the fragments of the Phase-2 structure are of high significance as they are the residual parts of the earliest surviving structure on this site and provide evidence for the existence of a yet-earlier house." The Statement of significance further said "The crosswing is also of high significance, as the frame is fairly complete and
it provides evidence for the existence of a shop in the ground-floor room. To find evidence for a shop in a surviving building is rare due to the nature of the evidence, being ephemeral and based on a number of disparate elements, any number of which may be lost through the continued use and consequent alteration of the building, and therefore that evidence which can be identified
should be retained."(2)

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

Michael Evans Architects, 2016, Prior's House, 18 King Street, West Malling, Kent, ME19 6QT: Application for listed building consent for replacement stair and bedroom fit-out (Unpublished document). SKE32406.

<2> Archaeology South East, 2011, An archaeological interpretation survey of The Priors, West Malling, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE52491.