Eastry Court

Description

House, site of Archiepiscopal palace. C14 or earlier, C16 and early C18, for Isaac Bargrave. Flint and rubble, timber framed, rendered and clad and extended in red brick. Plain tiled roofs. Ten bay early C18 front to aisled or semi-aisled hall with remains of chapel and domestic wings to rear. Two storeys on plinth with sunk panelled parapet to hipped roof with stacks to left and to rear right. Ten glazing bar sashes on first floor, that in fifth bay from right with segmental frame, and 9 on ground floor, all with gauged heads, flying cornices, and sunk panels below first floor windows. Door of 6 raised and fielded panels in fifth bay from right in enriched bolection moulded frame with rectangular fanlight, fluted Ionic pilasters and cornice. Rear wings; rear left timber framed, originally jettied range,plastered. Rear right, ground floor only of chapel, with lower half of East Window. Interior; C18 range with raised and fielded panelled rooms with dado rails and moulded cornices, elliptical arches to passageways, single flight stair with swept panelled dado/baluster as part of wall.Parallel range to front apparantly a semi-aisled hall, with large arcade posts surviving and a possible raised cruck on first floor, all of large scantling. Large inglenook fireplaces, in English Bond, partly blocked. Stone chamfered window surrounds in rear wings. Clasped purlin roofs, much altered in parts, with brick chamfered four centred arched fireplace in attic. Cellars with coursed chalk blocks below what appear to be medieval foundations, may relate to pre-Conquest Kentish Royal palace on site. The interior history of the building, complex already, is obscured by C19 and C20 partitions in process of restoration at time of survey. (Listed Building Report)