Downingbury Farmhouse

TQ 64 SW PEMBURY MAIDSTONE ROAD

5/385 Downingbury Farmhouse 14.4.86 II*

Farmhouse. 1703 according to the owner, it is certainly early C18, minor later modernisations. Ground floor level is Flemish bond red brick including some burnt headers; timber-framing above is clad with peg-tile. Brick stacks and chimneyshafts. Peg-tile roof.

Plan: Double depth plan house facing east south east, say east. Front and back rooms either side of central entrance hall containing the staircase. Rooms heated by end stacks. Principal rooms at the front and service rooms to rear.

House is 2 storeys with attics in the roofspace and cellar under the right (north) end.

Exterior: Largely original front. Symmetrical 3-window front of original sash windows, 12-pane sashes each side and first floor centre 8-pane sash. Central front doorway up a short flight of stone steps. Original bead-moulded solid doorframe contains a 6-fielded panel door and overlight has original glazing bars and above a shallow flat hood with moulded edges. Moulded timber eaves cornice. M-roof parallel to the front and gable-ended. Front has 3 dormer windows with hipped roofs. Rear elevation is not symmetrical. Here most of the windows are C20 replacement sash windows but the kitchen (rear north) has a 4-light window with original oak frame and flat-faced mullions. Rear doorway also has original frame but now contains a C20 plank door.

Interior: Contains a great deal of original carpentry and joinery detail. Fine original stair; open string with moulded newel posts, moulded flat handrail and slender turned balusters with blocks. Most rooms have original fielded panel doors and some cupboards have similar doors. Roof was not inspected but is believed to be the original structure.

Downingbury Farmhouse is a very attractive early C18 house and has survived remarkably complete. It also forms a group with its former farmbuildings now in separate occupation; Downingbury Farm Oast (q.v.) and Downingbury Farm Barn (q.v.).

Listing NGR: TQ6297742250