Fairfield House is a Grade I listed building which stands back from the road in Lower Street, Eastry. This attractive old timbered-framed house was once an important residence in the community.
Dated by E.W. Parkin as 15th century and thought to have been erected around 1410, it is identified as an aisled timber hall house (with aisle posts still in existence) and is the antecedent of the “Wealden” timber framed house (named after the Weald, a district, once forested, between the North and South Downs).
From the 1850s to First World War adjacent land to the house was used firstly by Robert Mann and secondly by John Luck for their stabling and parking of omnibuses etc.
In the last quarter of the 20th century the occupiers were Mr. and Mrs. A. Crane, who restored the house to its original condition and is now preserved. It is listed as an Historic House of Kent and possibly took its name from the field that lies just below the house.
On the Eastry Parish Council website there is an excellent article by Angela Crane, which gives details of the restoration of Fairfield House from the group of three Fairfield cottages, which formed the original house, and the associated Fairfield Cottage , which was originally the kitchen.
Acknowledgments:
This page was included by Michael Kinns, with kind permission by the webmaster, Cllr. David Carr to include the link to the Eastry Parish Council website]http://www.eastrypc.co.uk/fairfiledhouse.asp
Other information was taken from Douglas Welby’s informative book “The Kentish Village of Eastry , 1800-2000” , published in 2007.