lewes heath house, horsmonden, kent. - Archaeology South-East

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Archaeology South-EastLewes Heath House, Horsmonden, Kent,Interpretative Historic building Survey Rev 00 / Nov 06Office, catalogue to The Cowdray Archive. East Sussex Record Office, catalogue ofBattle Abbey Estate Archives]. Apart from the above references gleaned on line fromthe A2A website, no historical research was undertaken for the preparation of thispresent report. However, it should be noted that a fireback recorded as being in thehouse in the 1980s bears the arms and initials of the ironmaster, John Browne, thoughwhether there is an ownership/tenancy connection between him and this property is notknown. Nor is it known whether John was related to the Viscounts Montague, whosefamily name was Browne.OVERVIEW OF THE BUILDING [Figures 2 and 3]Given the existence of a likely moat and the known historical references to the site, therecan be little doubt that a house of good status stood upon this site during medievaltimes, though nothing of that building now survives. The earliest extant remains arelocated within the two-bay, timber-framed rear range [Period A] which was eithererected upon this site in the 17th century as a detached specialized structure, or was reerectedupon its present site either prior to, or during the construction of the main rangeof the house.The main range at Lewes Heath dates from around 1710 [Period B] and was erected asa symmetrically fronted building of good quality, with brick ground-floor walls and tilehungtimber framing above. There is a heavy eaves cornice capped by a steep, halfhippedroof, originally with three dormer windows in the front slope. The axial chimneyis located slightly left of central and is therefore offset from the centrally-placed frontdoor which is flanked on either side by pairs of cross windows: above are five equallyspacedcross windows. The whole stands upon a high plinth with windows (nowblocked) lighting the cellar beneath the parlour. On the ground floor the range housed aparlour and hall, with a kitchen contrived within the earlier timber frame to the rear. Atimber-framed stair turret built into the re-entrant angle between the two ranges gaveaccess to the first floor.Until the mid 20th century a timber-framed lean-to outshut stood immediately to the eastof the turret, to the rear of the parlour, but there is doubt as to whether this formed partof the period-B scheme or was added soon afterwards. If it post-dated period B, it couldhave been constructed at the same time as a two-storeyed extension was added to thewest of the main range. A range still stands upon the site of this extension, but most ofthe present structure appears to represent a 20th-century reconstruction of the original.The only recognizable original fabric within this part is the eastern truss of its ridgelessclasped-side-purlin roof. This truss is trapped within the rebuilt roof, beside the earlierperiod-B western stub gable. That this lower two-storeyed western range is not originalto the period-B scheme is indicated by the fact that it blocks period-B windows at firstfloorand attic levels and on the first floor could only be accessed via a doorway intrudedthrough the western wall of the original period-B house.In 1947 the house was bought by Jasper Hubbard, who, in about 1984, sold it and- 2 -
Archaeology South-EastLewes Heath House, Horsmonden, Kent,Interpretative Historic building Survey Rev 00 / Nov 06moved into the adjacent converted oasthouse, where he still lives. The authors of thisreport are grateful to him for supplying information regarding the alterations carried outsoon after he acquired the property. His account of this work is fully consistent with thestructural evidence contained within the house, and thus his memory can be relied upon,despite the half century which has passed. When he purchased the property a ratherrun-down lean-to outshut stood against the southern end wall of the rear range: this isshown extant in the 1st-edition 25" O.S. plan published in 1870, at which time adetached outhouse (perhaps a wash house, demolished between 1898 and 1909) stoodto the south-east of the outshut. The outshut was removed as part of the alterationscarried out by Jasper Hubbard, as too was the period-B chimney built into the southernend of the rear range. The chimney was replaced by a new stack built against the westwall of the same range. Mr Hubbard also demolished the outshut of either period-B or alittle later date which stood to the east of the stair turret, replacing it with a two-storeyedrear range of identical footprint. At this date the stairs still remained in situ within theturret: these he removed because of their rotten state and converted the turret into arear lobby (ground floor) and bathroom (first floor). The flight rising to the attic wasrebuilt within the turret, but to a revised design. Prior to talking to Mr Hubbard it wasalready clear that the turret was designed to house the period-B staircase, but it hadbeen considered likely that the lower flight rose against the south wall, with the upperflight positioned against the north wall. In fact, the reverse was the case, for Mr Hubbardclearly remembers stepping down off the upper flight in order to gain access to a storagearea within the roof of the lean-to outshut to the east. The new staircase was repositionedin the south-western corner of the hall, where a stair still exists today, thoughthe layout of the stair has been further altered subsequently. The other principalalteration undertaken by Mr Hubbard was the division of the old parlour (by now in useas a kitchen) to form small cupboard areas against the front wall.Further alterations were carried out to the house after it was sold by Mr Hubbard. Apartfrom the construction of a conservatory to the west of the rear range, no further additionswere made, but modifications were undertaken to the internal layout, especially on thefirst floor where part of the end wall between the hall chamber and the westernextension was removed, the hall chamber itself was divided up by the insertion ofpartitions, and a en-suite was formed within the rear part of the parlour chamber. It isnot known when during the 20th century the reconstruction work within the westernextension was undertaken.All work carried out since period B is excluded from the more detailed architecturaldescription which follows.LISTED STATUS OF THE BUILDINGLewes Heath was listed grade II on 10th October 1989, its listed building referencebeing TQ 73 NW 4/68. The description in the list entry is purely for the purpose ofrecognition and is normally, therefore, primarily based on external appearance. The- 3 -
Page 1 and 2: Archaeology South-EastASEA Revised
Page 3 and 4: STANDING BUILDINGSARCHAEOLOGICAL IN
Page 5: Archaeology South-EastLewes Heath H
Page 9 and 10: Archaeology South-EastLewes Heath H
Page 25: Head OfficeUnits 1 & 22 Chapel Plac

lewes heath house, horsmonden, kent. - Archaeology South-East

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?