Description

In the entries for the following serial numbers ---

14/156, 14/157, 14/158, 14/159, 14/160, 14/161, 14/162, 14/163, 14/164, 14/165 14/166, 14/167, 14/168, 14/169, 14/170, 14/171, 14/172, 14/173, 14/174, 14/175 14/176, 14/177, 14/178, 14/179, in the parish of Brenchley.

The address shall be amended to read---

"THE GREEN, Matfield" in place of "MATFIELD GREEN"

------------------------------------

TQ 65 41 BRENCHLEY MATFIELD GREEN (east side) 14/176 Cherry Trees including Post Office and art gallery

GV II

House, art gallery and Post Office. House circa early/mid C15 with C17 and C19 alterations. Post Office and art gallery probably late C19. The house is framed construction, clad in weatherboarding; peg-tile roof; brick stacks. Post Office and art gallery weatherboarded with slate roofs, the art gallery converted from a shop.

Plan: West facing complex, the house on a north south axis, the Post Office and gallery adjoining at right angles at the front left (north west). The house originated as an open hall, storeyed at the right (south) end. The lower (north) end has been partly rebuilt and the position of the original entrance is not clear. In the circa late C16/early C17 the hall was floored with an axial stack with back-to-back fireplaces inserted in the lower end bay of the hall giving a lobby entrance arrangement. In the circa early/mid C19 the right hand (south) room was converted to a parlour with an end stack added. The rear (east) outshut may also be C19. The partial rebuilding of the north end is probably C17.

Exterior: 2 storeys. Post Office and art gallery single storey. Asymmetrical 5-window front to the house. Roof hipped at the left end, gabletted at the right end. C19 gabled porch to the lobby entrance with shaped bargeboards and a panelled outer door flanked by one-light windows with diamond leaded panes. Various C19 and C20 casements. 2 3-light windows right of the porch have C20 diamond leaded panes; 3 first floor casements with glazing bars. To the lett of the porch 2 gabled dormers with casement windows with glazing bars are visible above the Post Office and gallery. These buildings are gabled to the front under a 2-span roof with curly pierced bargeboards to the gables. The Post Office to the left (north) has a 5-light transomed timber window, one pane occupied by the letter box. The gallery has a late C19 shop front with a half-glazed recessed door flanked by 6-pane windows with 4-pane windows on the inner returns of the doorway.

Interior: Cherry Trees is very unspoiled with well-preserved carpentry. The hall retains its C15 moulded, brattished dais beam and C17 cross beam and exposed joists. The C17 fireplace has a chamfered lintel. The inner room probably retains C15 joists concealed behind the C19 plaster and has a C19 timber chimney-piece. The north fireplace to the axial stack is blocked. The wall framing is very complete with jowled wall posts and big curved tension braces to the C15 crosswall between the chamber over the hall and over the right end room are exposed on the first floor, which preserves early joinery and old wall and ceiling plaster.

Roof: The C15 roof survives complete over the centre and right (north) end of the house. It is crown post construction with a plain post with 4-way bracing at the south end of the hall and a moulded octagonal crown post with 4-way bracing just south of the inserted stack, the timbers are heavily sooted above the hall. Beyond the stack sooted rafters are supplemented with clean ones and a cambered birdsmouth tie is used over the north end.

Listing NGR: TQ6593741885

External Links

• Wikidata Q26542683

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)