Bell Cottage, Steps And Handrail

Bell Cottage, together with its steps and handrail, is a late 16th or early 17th century timber-framed building originally part of the Bell public house. It is located on the west side of Staplehurst High Street. The ground floor is constructed of red and grey brick in a Flemish bond pattern, while the first floor is clad with banded plain and fishscale tiles. The long left side of the building is weatherboarded. It has a plain tile roof. The building was originally built at a right angle to the road and was an integral part of the Bell public house to the right.

The cottage is two storeys high, with a cellar. The first floor of the front gable end is jettied on a moulded bressumer, which extends slightly to the right of the right end of the gable. A solid-spandrel bracket is located to the left of the front door. The rear gable end has jettied coved eaves. A chimney stack is not easily visible from the road. There is one three-light first-floor casement window. A canted oriel window is located on the ground floor, with a cellar hatch beneath. A half-glazed door is situated at the right end of the building, leading up seven stone steps rising against the house wall. A plain iron handrail with stick balusters runs alongside the steps.

The interior of the cottage, which was only partly inspected, features ovolo-moulded cross and axial beams to the ground floor of the front room. There is evidence of an integral corridor down the right side of the building. A blocked, chamfered rectangular doorway is found towards the front of the right side. An inglenook fireplace is also present. The Bell public house to the right was rebuilt in the early 20th century following a fire.