Church Cottage Church House

Church Cottage and Church House are a pair of houses dating from the 16th century, with alterations made in the 18th century. They are timber-framed and have a complex exterior finish, including weatherboarding, red brick, and tile hanging on the first floor, all under a plain-tiled roof. The two builds are arranged with a lobby entry plan for Church House, extending four framed bays, and Church Cottage recessed to the right. The buildings are two storeys with an attic and basement. The ground level declines to the right, creating a visible plinth. Church House has a continuous jetty with a moulded bressummer supported by brackets. A moulded wooden eaves cornice with modillions runs across the whole front and returns to the side elevations. The roof is hipped with slight gablets, featuring a central-left moulded stack with an arched recessed panel, and additional stacks projecting at the right end and to the rear right. Four flat-roofed dormers contain leaded lights. The windows are primarily mullioned and transomed, with a three-light window to the centre and a sash window at the right end on the first floor. On the ground floor, there's an eight-light mullioned and transomed window to the left, and two three-light windows to the centre right and right. A three-panelled wooden door leads to the right, with a flight of six steps. A fine, moulded, panelled double door is positioned at the centre left, within a large, moulded, four-centred arched surround featuring carved fernleaf motifs and the letter 'B' in the spandrels, and accessed by a flight of eight steps. There is an ornate scrolled wrought iron sign bracket and frame in the centre of the first floor. Two moulded nine-panelled carriage doors provide access to the basement. The right return elevation has two-light mullioned and transomed windows on each floor, with a canted bay projecting forward at the right end. Internally, the principal dining room features plank and muntin panelling, moulded ceiling beams are present throughout, and murals have been reported on the stair landing. Originally a cloth hall, the building has subsequently served as a tavern, barracks for an anti-smuggling militia band at Goudhurst, and the base of William Rootes Snr’s bicycle business around 1900, which later developed into the Rootes motor group.