The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 64 SE PADDOCK WOOD LONGBROOKS
6/327 Nos 1 and 2 Longbrooks Cottages
II
House, divided into 2 tenanted cottages. Probably mid C15 in origin, alterations of the circa late C16/early C17; rear addition of circa 1950 following bomb damage. Framed construction on brick footings, the ground floor rendered, the first floor tile-hung; concrete tile-hanging to the east end; peg-tile roof; brick stacks.
Plan: The house faces north. It originated as a 2-bay open hall, presumably with a cross passage entrance to left of centre, with a one-bay storeyed west end and a one-bay jettied, storeyed east end. The hall was floored in the circa late C16/early C17 with an inserted stack, converting the entrance to a lobby arrangement. In the 1950s the hosue was repaired following bomb damage and a rear left (south east) kitchen wing was added in a vernacular style.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Roof gabled at the left end, gabletted and hipped at the right end. Axial stack with a staggered handmade brick shaft, the corbelled brick cornice renewed; C20 stack at the right end. Asymmetrical 3- window front (north) elevation with a recessed porch with C20 plank doors into the 2 cottages. 2-, 3- and 4-light timber C19 and C20 casements, mostly with glazing bars. The rear elevation is 4:2 windows, the 2 windows to the 1950s wing, which is tile-hung with some scalloped tiles and jettied on both returns. Recessed porch with a C20 plank door to the west cottage to left of centre. C19 or C20 timber casement windows with glazing bars. The left (east) return of the main block is jettied, the jetty on curved braces. C20 door into the east cottage, into the addition. C20 timber casement windows with glazing bars.
Interior: Rich in early carpentry. The late C16/early C17 hall has a scroll- stopped beam on the long axis, exposed joists and a large open fireplace with brick jambs and a chamfered lintel with scroll stops. The fireplace incorporates 2 cupboards, one with an C18 2-panel door is said to have been an oven; a smaller cupboard has butterfly hinges. The higher end preserves the moulded, brattished dais beam dating from the late medieval phase. The inner room, to the west, has exposed joists. The east end room has exposed joists on the long axis. A crossbeam in front of the party wall indicates the east end of the open hall. The first floor preserves probably C17 doors. The west end cottage has probably C18 pargetting in all the first floor rooms: this is a rare survival. The wall-framing has step stops and wall posts with flared jowls. Blocked fireplace to the chamber over the hall.
Roof: The medieval crown post roof is well-preserved: sooted closed partitions mark the ends of the open hall. The hall truss has an octagonal crown post on a chamfered base with a moulded capital and 4-way up braces. The crown post tie-beam has a chamfered soffit and massive arch braces which spring from about 1 metre above ground level. The braces were shaped to leave spaces in the position of the spandrels. Plain crown posts in the partitions at the ends of the hall had 2-way up braces and curved down braces. Over the east end there has been some rebuilding of the roof, which was formerly hipped.
A good example of a well-preserved evolved house of medieval origins.
Listing NGR: TQ6885143374

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