Nizels Cottage

Nizels Cottage, Hildenborough

House. Circa late 15th or early 16th century with circa mid-17th century alterations and a 20th century rear addition. Framed construction with brick infill of various dates to the ground floor and tile-hung first floor; peg-tile roof; brick stacks.

The building is a south-facing house of the Wealden type. The original arrangement comprised an open hall in the centre flanked by jettied, storeyed ends with a through passage entrance within the lower (east) end. The lower end, beyond the passage, was divided between two service rooms, presumably buttery and pantry. The lower end is jettied to the front only, while the higher end is jettied both to the front and on the left (west) return. A newel stair to the first floor of the lower end may be original.

Around the mid-17th century, the hall was floored over and an axial stack was inserted, backing on to the passage. Later alterations involved the removal of the lower side passage partition, the partition between buttery and pantry, and the addition of a lower end fireplace back-to-back with the hall fireplace. The higher end ground floor room was divided into two, with a left (west) end stack added to heat the front (south) room. Some of these alterations may be associated with the subdivision of the house into three cottages, for which there is evidence in a circa 1900 photograph in the possession of the owners. A late 20th century single-storey kitchen wing has been added to the rear of the higher end at right angles, and a late 20th century straight flight stair has been introduced into the hall against the higher end partition.

Two storeys. The front is slightly asymmetrical with three windows, jettied to left and right with a flying bressumer over the hall, supported by braces of massive scantling and with intact coving. The roof is hipped and gabletted at the ends. A 20th century plank door to the hall is positioned to the left of centre. The original entrance to the former passage, below the right-hand jetty, is blocked but preserves its chamfered oak lintel. 20th century timber casements of 2-, 4- and 6-lights are present. The dragon beam at the front left corner is supported on a massive brace with a shallow moulded capital below the springing. The axial hall stack has a handmade brick shaft and moulded cap. On the rear elevation, the position of the rear doorway to the through passage is visible in the framing.

Interior: The hall contains a large 17th century open fireplace with stone jambs and a moulded chamfered oak lintel. The 17th century ceiling is supported on a longitudinal chamfered beam with step jewel stops and chamfered joists. The late medieval framing of the higher end partition is exposed, forming an impressive design of massive scantling with tension braces. An order of reeded moulding, matching the fireplace lintel, has been added to the middle rail. The ground floor higher end room has a dragon beam with concealed joists and is divided by a secondary framed partition. The lower end ground floor room has exposed ceiling carpentry with original late medieval joists. The positions of the former lower side passage partition and the partition between buttery and pantry are evident from redundant mortises. A chamfered lintel with step stops halfway down the former passage indicates a former doorway. An oak newel stair rises against the rear wall, aligned with the inserted stack, giving access to the first floor of the lower end, which preserves evidence of former windows with sliding shutters. The higher end chamber preserves a late medieval unglazed 4-light window with oak stanchions, blocked externally, on the rear (north) wall, with evidence of a similar window in the framing of the front wall. 16th and 17th century wide oak floorboards survive throughout the first floor.

Roof: Although not entirely complete, the late medieval crown post roof survives, heavily smoke-blackened over the hall. The lower and higher end partitions are also heavily sooted, each with a crown post buried in them. Each crown post has a plain top and was originally braced four ways with up braces to the collar purlin and cranked braces down to the tie-beam. The collar purlin has been replaced although a stub of the original survives towards the lower end partition, truncated by the insertion of the hall stack which projects through the roof to one side of the ridge. The common rafter collars have lap dovetail joints; the pair of rafters in the centre of the hall is missing.

A well-preserved Wealden house with most of the medieval frame and roof intact and a good interior.