The Ram House

1351/0/10014

HAWKHURST HASTINGS ROAD The Ram House

GV II

Hydraulic ram house. Circa 1855, built for Col. Edward Lloyd who owned the Lillesden estate to provide the estate water supply. EXTERIOR: Small square red brick building in English bond with an elaborate cornice comprising a decoration of black bricks with dogtooth band below and pyramidal slate roof which has been partially covered over by corrugated iron sheeting in the later C20. One side has a round-headed arched doorcase with stone keystone and impost blocks, rubbed brick voussoirs and original double ledged door. The other sides have round-headed arched windows, also with stone keystones and impost blocks and most of the wooden multipane frames survive. INTERIOR: Machinery no longer extant. HISTORY: The ram house is thought to be of the same date as the main house (1855) and is shown on the First Edition 25 inch OS map printed in 1870. From this building water was pumped using the force of a spring by a hydraulic ram to the water tower situated some distance north of the main house and then descended by gravitation to the house and stables. The hydraulic ram may have been replaced by a steam pump at a later date. Sales particulars of 1913 for Lillesden (in the event the property was not sold until 1926) show that although mains water was laid on from about 1900 the estate supply was still being used in 1913.

A very early example of a hydraulic ram house to a private estate, an extremely rare building type, built in matching style to the main house and water tower with which it is functionally related.