Old White Hill Cottage

A house, later subdivided but now in one ownership, in Chilham. The building was constructed in the late 16th century with a staircase tower added in the late 17th century, refronted and extended in the early 19th century, and extended again in the late 19th century. A small mid-20th century extension to the south west is not of special interest.

The structure is timber-framed and was clad in brickwork in the early 19th century. The south west and south east sides have been rendered with incised lines to give the impression of ashlar. The roof is gabled and tiled with an off-centre ribbed brick chimneystack. The fenestration is irregular and consists mainly of 20th century casements in original openings.

The original plan was a late 16th century two-cell, single-storey building with attics, a central chimneystack, and a lobby entrance. In the late 17th century a staircase tower was added to the north west. The early 19th century refurbishment involved clad the building in brickwork, adding a projecting full-height gabled porch to the south west side, and adding a further full-height bay to the north west. A single-storey extension was added to the south west in the late 19th century.

The south west side, originally the entrance front, has three gabled dormers and a two-storey projecting full-height gabled porch opposite the chimneystack with a first floor casement window. The ground floor of the porch is now obscured by a small 20th century gabled extension. The ground floor has a three-light casement with cambered head to the left and a 20th century square bay to the right. Projecting at the north west end is a single-storey late 19th century gabled extension which retains a metal-framed casement with diamond panes and a plank door with large iron hinges. The south east elevation has only a single casement window to the upper storey. The north east elevation, originally the rear, now has the main entrance and is mainly of brick with a brick plinth. Opposite the chimneystack is a gabled full-height staircase tower with catslide roofs to outshots on either side, each outshot having a plank door. The north east front is entirely of brick in random bond pattern and has two casement windows with cambered heads and a tall 19th century chimney at the south western corner.

Internally, the south eastern ground floor room has a large open fireplace with wooden bressumer which retains the socket for a crane. The brick surround has a spice hole, and the brickwork on the left side has been worn down by knife sharpening. The spine beam has a two-inch chamfer and lamb's tongue stops on one side with unchamfered floor joists. Timber framing of the original north west wall is visible. The adjoining room has a smaller fireplace with wooden bressumer and a chamfered spine beam with run-out stops. A timber-framed partition wall separates this room from the north-western end. The timber frame of the original north west wall is visible in the north western room, which was added in the early 19th century.

Access to the south western bedroom is by the late 17th century staircase tower, which has a dogleg staircase with solid splat balusters and a pyramid variant newel post. The bedroom has a ledged plank door and the wallplate is visible. It is possible that a further fireplace may be concealed beneath plaster. The top of the brick chimneystack is visible through a small cupboard. Originally the 17th century staircase would have given access to the adjoining bedroom, but this access was probably blocked in the 19th century when the building was divided into two cottages. This room is now approached from a 20th century staircase towards the north west. Much of the timber frame of the original north west wall, including a jowled corner post, is visible here. The adjoining bedroom has a small brick fireplace with wooden bressumer. Old floorboards are reported to survive in both bedrooms under later floor coverings.

At one time the building was part of the Chilham Castle estate and was called Looker's Cottage, inhabited by a shepherd. The 1872 Ordnance Survey map shows the building had been extended by one bay on both floors at the north-western end. By 1897, the footprint had been altered by the addition of a porch opposite the chimney on the south west front and a larger projection added to the northern end of this side. On the 1897 and 1907 maps the building is shown divided into two properties. A further small extension was added in front of the south western porch in the 1960s or 1970s.