Gate House Marsh Works

The Gate House at Marsh Works is a building dating from 1800 to 1810, originally serving as the entrance to a gunpowder factory and now functioning as a house. It is constructed of Flemish bond brick and features a slate roof with brick stacks. The building has a double-depth plan, with an extension to the left (southwest) of the front.

The exterior consists of two storeys. It has gauged brick flat arches above late 19th-century 2/2-pane sash windows that flank a panelled door set in a canted bay to the right. Above this, there is a timber lintel over a similar sash window on the first floor. To the left, there are two more similar windows, and the left return features a 19th-century timber porch with a swept roof leading to another panelled door.

The interior has not been inspected.

Historically, the Marsh Works were part of the Royal Gunpowder Factory established outside Faversham in 1786 following an explosion in the town, aimed at relocating some of the more hazardous processes. The factory played a significant role in enhancing British gunpowder production during the Napoleonic Wars under the direction of William Congreve. A saltpetre refinery was constructed in 1789 as part of Congreve's efforts to improve the quality of gunpowder ingredients. The factory was privatised after the war and closed in the 1920s.

The gatehouse was built during the early 19th century refurbishment of the site, positioned at the entrance to the works and near the Proof House, where gunpowder was tested. A mortar testing bed is located in the garden.