Foresters Arms, East Hoathly, East Sussex

Summary

Pair of C18 cottages converted to serve as a public house after 1839.

Description

Pair of semi-detached C18 cottages converted to serve as a public house after 1839; additional cottage added to the west by 1875 and public house enlarged to the north and east in stages between the late C19 and C20.

MATERIALS: internal timber framing to C18 core, brick walls with weatherboarding and a mixture of clay and slate tiles.

PLAN: C18 core consists of a symmetrical pair of former cottages divided by a central hearth and shared lobby entrance; both have front and rear rooms arranged over two floors with additional attic accommodation. The original plan-forms of the cottages remain legible, with the front rooms at ground floor serving as two distinct bar rooms and the rear rooms used as a beer cellar (west; extended 1980) and kitchen/store (east) as part of the conversion to a public house and subsequent adaptation. Stairs are retained in the western former cottage, which provides the only access to the upper floor rooms; the dividing lateral wall has been breached to allow the corridor to pass through to the east cottage. There are two separate eastern extensions associated with the building’s use as a pub: on the south-east side is a late C19 bar parlour extension and to the north-east is the 1922 hall with a toilet block of 1950 attached to the northern end and a c1980 porch entrance to the east (these additions are not considered to add to the building’s special interest). An additional C19 cottage, with compact front and rear rooms to both floors and a later lean-to toilet block is accessed separately from South Street.

EXTERIOR: the main C18 core is symmetrically arranged with a central brick stack dividing the two formerly distinct cottages. The clay-tiled roof is half-hipped with the stub-gables of the attics clad in horizontal weatherboards; both gables with central two-light windows. The range is principally of red brick, laid in Flemish bond with decorative use of over-fired headers. To South Street, a pair of multi-paned casement windows occupies the first floor, the left set under a timber lintel, the right under gauged brick. Set between these is a modern signboard, this possibly covering an earlier painted version shown in historic photographs. The ground-floor elevation is characterised by the work of 1907, with a central entrance door reached by a set of steps, set under a tiled canopy supported by timbers with chamfered leading edges. This unifies the two contemporary canted bay windows to the front bar rooms, both with leaded lights. A brick retaining wall is set forward of the principal elevation, this flanking the central steps.

The rear elevation of the C18 range has two projecting wings (extending to the north, either side of the central stack). The rear wings, which do not include attic space, have a lower pitch height than the main range. The roof is half-hipped with stub-gables to the first floor clad in horizontal weatherboards. The east wing has a pair of casement windows placed centrally, with a further inserted narrow window to the east side (for the partitioned-off bathroom added c1950). Below are two C20 windows. The eastern side of the wing is partially obscured by the rear wall of the 1922 extension which wraps around to cover this end section. The west wing also has a central pair of casement windows to the first-floor. Below, the west wing has been partially extended by the 1980 ground-level beer ‘cellar’, which is of purple brick and has a tiled, half-hipped roof. A central larder at ground-floor level, which was added by 1907, has infilled the original space between the two wings behind the central stack.

The bar parlour (built late C19 to the east of the main range facing South Street) is a small single-storey building served by its own chimney stack on its eastern side. Next to the east stack is the original entrance door (part-glazed with fielded panels) reached by steps with late C19 decorative ironwork handrails. The South Street elevation has a broad leaded-light sash window positioned centrally. Behind this, the 1922 hall steps out slightly to the east. The hall is of rectangular plan and single storey in height, although rather loftier than the parlour. It is constructed in pale red brick laid in stretcher bond with a slate roof with central cupola vent. The entrance, in the centre of the eastern elevation, is flanked by a pair of tripartite sash windows: this is now concealed by a c1980 porch (this does not contribute to the special interest). A further sash window under gauged brick voussoirs is retained to the east side of the south elevation. A toilet block of c1950, with part of the roof half-hipped and the east side flat and asphalt covered, has extended the hall to the north (also not of special interest).

To the west of the C18 range is the mid-C19 double-storey cottage. The roof, gabled at the west side was finished with a cover of plain clay tile. The brickwork is arranged into red and grey brick bands, laid in English bond. The South Street frontage has casement windows to both levels; with the ground-floor window and the entrance to the east both set under gauged brick voussoirs. There is a chimney stack to the west elevation, which is concealed under render incised to give the impression of ashlar. A small lean-to brick WC (added by 1908) is set against this elevation. The rear elevation of the cottage is of brick with the first floor clad in clay tiles; this has two further casement windows and a rear door.

INTERIOR: the front bar rooms of the main range are divided by a central brick stack with a lobby entrance set in front. There are inglenooks with timber lintels to both sides; the dividing brick fireback has been largely removed to create an opening (of restricted height) between the rooms. Above the inglenooks are protruding timber ledges, which support the first-floor hearths above. Both front rooms have substantial C18 chamfered ceiling beams with diagonal-cut stops which run parallel to the stack. Thin joists are set perpendicular to the beams (several of those to the outer walls of the range are later machine-cut replacements). The dado-level fielded panelling and internal doors of the front rooms form part of the 1907 refurbishment. This work is characterised by its chamfered edges, matching the detailing of the contemporary entrance canopy and bay windows seen externally. The slight enlargement of the east bar room in the mid-C20 removed the stairs in this section, although the position of the partition can be identified in the ceiling by sawn-off studs. The counter in the east bar room is modern but the bar back shelving, which has turned and ringed supports to the shelves, appears to be of late C19 date (although clearly re-sited as this is in the location of the original stairs). In the west bar room a later C20 timber fire surround has been integrated into the panelling in the centre of the west wall.

The rear section of the main range is also divided into two distinct areas. The east is occupied by the kitchens and larder; this area retains simple red floor tiles of late C19 or early C20 date. The western half serves as a ground-level beer ‘cellar’; extended to the north in 1980. This west section is divided from the front bar room by the original winder stairs on this side (set against the west wall), beneath which is a closet with a plank and batten door with strap hinges. Within the closet it is possible to see the original lath work to the dividing wall and the C18 carpentry work to the underside of the stairs.

The late C19 bar parlour extension has a parquet block floor, tongue-and-groove panelling to dado level and an Art Nouveau fireplace in the centre of the east wall. The 1922 luncheon and tea room/hall addition is a single large room, also with parquet block flooring. It was originally heated by a chimney stack on its western side (now blocked). A modern bar counter and bar back has been inserted in this room. The bar back covers the original chimney breast, although the original moulded cornice is retained.

At first-floor level (main range only), two principal rooms are set to the front with rear ranges occupied by smaller rooms. C18 plank and batten doors with spear-headed strap hinges and latch fasteners feature throughout at this level. The front rooms both have chamfered beams with diagonal-cut stops (matching those below), although ceiling joists are concealed. The west room retains an Art Nouveau fire surround with decorative cheek tiles. The front east room has had modern built-in cupboards which cover any fireplace which may survive here. The rear east room has had a partition added and a bathroom inserted.

At attic level in the C18 range, part of the original partition remains, as does the central brick stack. The roof structure, which is consistent in both the front and rear ranges, is of staggered butt-purlin form, the common rafters concealed by applied boards. Broad floorboards, probably of C18 date are retained at this level. The upper sections of the stairs to the attic survive on both sides; some form of ladder must have been used to access this upper section from the first-floor originally as there is no place a full staircase could have conceivably have been positioned.

The mid-C19 western cottage was not inspected internally.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: set centrally in front of the forecourt of the pub is a C20 hanging pub sign with some simple wrought-iron work.

In the rear garden, situated to the north, there is a simple C19 outbuilding (with c1950 double doors and steel-framed windows added and the roof retiled in the 1990s) with a basic timber garage set adjacent; these outbuildings do not contribute to the special interest and are excluded from the listing.

History

A building in the position of the Foresters Arms, on the north side of South Street close to the junction with Church Marks Lane, first appears on Yeakell and Gardner’s 1778-83 map of Sussex. The stylised outline form shown on the map offers little to distinguish the building, but the historic fabric is consistent with a mid- to late-C18 date. In its original form the building appears to have consisted of a pair of semi-detached cottages with simple front and back room floor-plans over two storeys (plus an attic), mirrored either side of a central stack and lobby entrance. From the evidence of the East Hoathly tithe apportionment, made in 1839, the building was still in use as two separate cottages at this time.

During the C19 the cottages were converted to serve as a public house. The exact date at which the conversion was made is not clear. It was certainly no earlier than the 1840s, until which time the cottages were clearly tenanted. However, it may not have been long after: according to records of Harvey’s Brewery, the Foresters Arms was one of the seventeen initial public houses that by 1859 were being supplied porters, stouts and mild ales by the Lewes-based brewery. Several alterations and additions to the C18 core were made over the course of the latter half of the C19, mostly associated with its new function. By 1875 an additional cottage of more compact proportions had been built against the west end. Following this, a new block was constructed against the east side of the C18 cottages. This consisted of a bar parlour, stables and a toilet block. In addition, the space between the two rear wings was infilled, with a new larder created in the former void. This work is all shown on the ‘as existing’ plan of 1907 produced by Harvey and Son when they acquired the pub, although on stylistic grounds this was probably undertaken in the late C19.

Shortly after taking over the pub in 1907, Harvey and Son set about planning their own improvements. Light was brought into the two front bar rooms with the introduction of a pair of broad bay windows, which were set under a unifying timber-supported entrance canopy. As part of this work the two separate entrances (shown in an early photograph and probably associated with the initial conversion of the cottages) were replaced with a single entrance to a lobby area accessing the two front bar rooms. A contemporary internal remodelling saw new panelling and bar fittings installed. A subsequent phase of work initiated by Harvey and Son, planned in 1907 although suspended until after the First World War, was the construction of a new luncheon and tea room/hall and a small store to replace the late-C19 stables to the east (approved in 1922). This addition was built in response to what the brewery perceived as a ‘considerable demand, by people passing, for luncheons and tea’, as the Sussex Express of 10 November 1922 reported.

Some minor changes to the pub were made in the mid-C20, with a new toilet block and store built up against the 1922 hall. Several internal alterations were made around this time also, which included the removal of the stairs of the eastern cottage to enlarge the bar room and the removal of the dividing brickwork in the central stack to allow circulation between the front east and west bar rooms. In addition, the opening in the east wall with the bar parlour was widened. In 1980 a new ground-floor beer ‘cellar’ was added to the rear of the west cottage (removing part of the original north wall on this side). A square porch was added to the east side of the 1922 hall, with a new opening created to allow access to the bar parlour and central bar rooms from this side. Since the 1990s, a new counter has been added to the east bar room and an extended counter with bar back fittings (covering the former fireplace in the centre of the west wall) were installed in the east hall in around 2015.

Reasons for Listing

The Foresters Arms public house, 6 South Street, East Hoathly is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* For the high rate of survival of the original plan-form and fabric dating to the latter half of the C18;

* For the survival of C18 fixtures and fittings including broad floorboards at attic level and several plank and batten doors with their iron strap hinges and latches, complimented by late-C19 pub fittings such as the Art Nouveau style fireplace and the repositioned bar back shelving;

* As a distinctive example of later C18 vernacular building traditions in Sussex;

Historic interest:

* The historic core constitutes a rare example of a semi-detached pair of cottages from the later C18, the original plan-form of which remains legible despite its conversion in the mid-C19;

* As a particularly clear example of the way many simple domestic buildings were converted to sell beer in the wake of the 1830 Beer Act;

* For the survival of key elements of each phase of the building’s expansion, which clearly demonstrate how the public house evolved over time to meet changing commercial demands.

External Links

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.

British Listed Buildings

History in Structure

Foresters Arms

A Grade II Listed Building in East Hoathly, East Sussex

Coordinates

Summary

Description

History

Reasons for Listing

External Links

Recommended Books