Town Survey Update 1998/2001
London Road East: Sheet six
Buildings: 14, 16 and 18 Photos: B13 and B14
History:
Nos. 14 and 16 probably built as a pair late 17th/early 18th century. No. 18 late 19th/early 20th century. Not listed.
No. 14
Grocer – Rumbold in 1850, possibly also publican as Plumber’s Arms existed on site 1881 to 1908.
Restaurant – Woolterton’s 1908 to 1916.
Bicycles – Twiddy from 1917 with nos. 16 and 18
Thompson and Wood 1921
Thompson and Fox 1926 to 1931
Cyco Rado 1931 to 1960
Furniture and furnishings – Dale Johnson 1975
Sevenoaks Furnishing Co.
No. 16
Fruiterer and grocer – Hunt before 1839
Greengrocer and draper – Paine and Hunt 1855
Tailor and Hatter – Winterbourne 1863 to 1900 also in no. 18
Cycles and tobacco – Twiddy 1901 to 1920
Confectionery and tobacco – Smethurst and Sales 1921 to 1949
Boning and Read 1949 to 1965
Furniture and furnishings – Dale Johnson 1975
Cane shop – County Style – 1980
No. 18
Bookseller and carpenter – Harman and Smith 1840
Hatter and outfitter – Winterbourne 1881 to 1891 with no. 16
Clothier – Wright 1901 to 1912
Confectionery and tobacco – Twiddy 1912 to 1920
Smethurst and Sales 1921 to 1947
Boning and Read 1949 to 1965
Furniture and furnishings – Dale Johnson 1975
Note interlocking of trades and traders.
At the foot of the page is a photograph from the 1981 survey.
Current Use:
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Knole House Furnishings
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Offices – first and second floors
Description:
Three distinct buildings opened up into one on the ground floor for showroom purposes and interconnected at roof, upper floor and basement levels.
Nos. 14 and 16 are heavy oak framed structures of late 17th/early 18th century probable origin, although subsequently altered. Originally, no. 18 was a tall, three storey brick building with hipped slate roof in 1860 but rebuilt in 1930, again with three floors.
All buildings have modern aluminium framed shop fronts with brick piers on ground floor.
No. 14 has metal casement bay windows on both upper floors under gable end with moulded bargeboards and faced with modern mechanical tiles, previously stucco prior to 1908.
No. 16 has single sash window in moulded frame on first floor and set in stucco finish to walls under steep plain clay tile roof and small square flat headed dormer with lead flashed roof and cheeks fitted in 1908.
No. 18 rebuilt in 1930 to have metal casement windows with leaded lights on upper floors with board decorated timber panels between floors and faced in good quality brick under modern slightly projecting gable end in plain tiles.
The continuous ridge tile roof ties the three buildings into one unit, with older, possibly original tiles, above no. 16.
First recorded original use of cellars to nos. 16 and 18 was a part of an old local prison. (Known by Dale Johnson as ‘The Old Town Jail’).
Comment:
The three buildings form a pleasant whole which deserves to be preserved in a varied street scene.
Importance: A/B
Included in previous survey.
1981 survey
