50-52, ROMNEY ROAD

This is a house, originally a large open hall-house, located in Willesborough. Constructed probably in the 15th century, it has undergone significant alterations over the centuries, including the addition of a chimneystack and ceiling in the late 16th or early 17th century. Further changes occurred in the 18th century with the underbuilding of the ground floor in brick, and again in the late 20th century with refenestration and an extension of one bay to the north and a lean-to to the south.

The building is timber-framed, with the first floor clad in tile hanging and the ground floor in painted brick. It has a steeply pitched hipped tiled roof with a central brick chimneystack. Originally, the layout comprised a two-bay open hall with a jettied solar (living area) to the south, likely a service bay to the north which has since been rebuilt. The windows are a mix of traditional wooden casement windows and late 20th-century top-opening casements. A large, tiled, gabled porch, dating from the 20th century, now fronts the entrance.

Inside, the ground floor retains a moulded dais beam and several panels from the original dais partition, which separated the dais from the main hall. The former open hall has a late 16th or early 17th century fireplace with a wooden bressumer and an inserted ceiling featuring two-inch chamfered spine beams with lambs tongue stops, along with similar floor joists. The south bay (formerly the solar) features massive square section beams and an end jetty, originally external but now concealed behind the late 20th century lean-to, supported by plain curved brackets. On the first floor, original features include jowled corner posts and curved tension braces. The centre of the former open hall contains a fine chamfered tie beam with lambs tongue stops, a jowled upright post with run-out stops, and an octagonal crownpost with four head braces. Comparisons with similarly constructed buildings in Kent, which have been dendro-dated, suggest a construction date of the 1460s for the original structure. Most original rafters appear to remain, though some 18th-century roof timbers are present in the south end.

Historically, the property was known as Charity Farm and was used as a Meeting House.