Rowhurst

Rowhurst is a house, likely a former hunting lodge, dating from the mid to later 16th century, with a substantial 17th-century addition. It is constructed with timber framing and brick nogging for the earlier part, and handmade brick for the later addition, both featuring flint plinths and red tile roofs. The house comprises a two-part plan: a rectangular, single-unit 16th-century range running north-east to south-west, with an outshut added to its north side, and a large, square 17th-century addition to the south-east, with the roof ridge at a right angle to the earlier building. Both elements are two-and-a-half storeys, with equal eaves heights, although the later addition’s very pitched roof overshadows the earlier part behind it.

The main facade, with a gabled design across two bays, has a deep flint cellar wall with chamfered brick coping and a three-course band above each floor. The cellar has a doorway on the left and a two-light brick-mullioned window on the right, each under brick relieving arches. The ground floor features a segmental-headed doorway in the centre – likely a later insertion – flanked by two three-light windows with chamfered brick mullions. The first floor has two square two-light casements with chamfered surrounds, and the gable contains a restored oriel supported on carved wooden brackets, with two small, vertically aligned panels in the apex. The side walls have three-light mullioned cellar windows. On the left side, there’s a doorway with a chamfered surround, a small square window, and a two-light mullioned window. The right-hand side includes a large external brick chimney stack with tiled offsets and a tall rectangular flue with two channels, with a three-light mullioned window to the rear at ground floor and a two-light casement above.

The rear gable wall of the earlier range’s left (south-west) side has a lean-to porch and an external chimney, while the right (north-east) gable wall displays exposed timber framing, including the sill on a flint plinth, a corner post, mid-rail, curved up-braces to the tie-beam, and two queen-struts to the collar truss. Restored three-light casements are present on all floors, including the attic. The lean-to along the north side is almost full height and of similar materials, with a doorway and a window above.

Inside the earlier range, there’s a large, chamfered lateral beam with joists, one side of which has a cavetto chamfer with tongue stops. On the first floor, an arch-braced tie-beam with two queen-posts approximately 2 metres from the south-west gable wall indicates a former smoke bay. The 17th-century addition has a large inglenook fireplace at ground floor and a large chamfered spine beam. It is said that the house was a hunting lodge associated with Hampton Court Palace.