Hole Cottage, Kent

A Brief Introduction to Hole Cottage

Cover image: Ron Strutt / Hole Cottage, near Cowden, Kent / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Nestled by a small stream in a woodland clearing, Hole Cottage is the remaining fragment of a late medieval timber-framed hall house. The rest of the building was dismantled in the early nineteenth century, leaving only this section, which once stood at right angles to the original block of the house. Characteristic of the Kentish architectural style of its era, Hole Cottage is top-heavy with its jettied first storey. It retains many of its original features. You can read a full history of Hole Cottage here.

Timber-framed houses

Many medieval houses used cruck frames, typically made from large, curved timbers, often sourced from naturally shaped trees. A cruck frame consists of two curved or inclined timbers that meet at the apex to form a triangular truss. These frames are joined to create the basic structure of the building. Additional horizontal timbers are added to complete the frame and support the roofing material.

In the later part of the fourteenth century, instead of using multiple long beams, a single straight beam extended to the roof level, and the curved beam was repurposed to shape the roof. This modification allowed for the construction of slightly taller houses. It may also have been necessary because of a shortage of suitable trees – it has been estimated that a timber-framed house would have required over one hundred trees.

Later in the fourteenth century, the technique of using vertical and cross beams to create squares or rectangles approximately six feet in size transitioned to using wall and floor plates connected by vertical uprights with spacious gaps between them. From the fifteenth century onward, the introduction of curved diagonal bracing timbers significantly enhanced the strength and rigidity of the walls. This innovation paved the way for incorporating jettied upper floors like Hole Cottage.

Example of a fifteenth-century cruck framed timber building, Michael Dibb, CC BY-SA 2.0;
Diagonally braced timber frame, Ian Petticrew, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Stay at Hole Cottage

Hole Cottage is tucked away in woodland, with one double room and one room with a bunk. It has parking, an open fire and allows pets. Expect a quiet, rural location, a 15-minute walk from Cowden village. The county of Kent is brimming with Tudor history and is the perfect location base for a Tudor-themed getaway. My travel itinerary, A Tudor Weekend in Kent, details the best Tudor places in the area to visit.

Visitor Information

For more details on the accommodation, check out Hole Cottage’s website.

Contact Details: Email bookings@landmarktrust.org.uk or call the booking office on 01628 825925.

Address: Hole Cottage, Markbeech, Edenbridge, TN8 5PD.