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Designations

• Conservation Area: BATTLE
• Listed Building (II*) 1230278: THE PILGRIMS REST RESTAURANT

Summary

15th century and later timber framed Wealden Hall House at The Pilgrims Rest, Battle.

Monument Types

• GUEST HOUSE (AD 15th Century to AD 16th Century - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
• TIMBER FRAMED BUILDING (AD 15th Century to Modern - 1400 AD to 2050 AD)
• WEALDEN HOUSE (AD 15th Century to Modern - 1400 AD to 2050 AD)

Description

Originally a guest house outside the gates of Battle Abbey. C15 timber-framed building of Wealden type consisting of a recessed centre and wings with their first floor overhanging on the protruding ends of the floor joists. The whole front is close studded except the north wing which is wholly plastered on the ground floor and above has squares of plaster infilling with some timbering. The south wing has curved braces on the first floor. The centre has coved eaves, the upper ends of the studs being curved to form it, and a curved brace on the south side of the recess. Casement windows and one oriel window of 6 lights with transom on the first floor. Pointed doorway with original iron-studded door. Good moulded crown post roof in hall. [1]
Earliest (medieval) phase of building completely lost to progressive rebuild. Earliest surviving element comprises early/mid 15th century three-bay fully floored cross wing, which replaced the northern (parlour) end of earlier building. Remainder of earliest building replaced in mid-15th century with three- bay Wealden type building, consisting of two bay open hall and service bay. Service chamber open to roof. Cross wing remodelled in mid 16th century, and floor and chimney stack inserted into hall of main range. External chimney also added to end of service bay. Some minor alterations in 17th century, perhaps including a lean-to added to the end of the service bay. [2] Located adjacent to the abbey gate house, the abbey had already built a house upon this site by the early 12th century. It was still in the hands of the abbey almoner in the early 14th century. The site was far more extensive than it now is, extending some way along the western side of the Abbey Green. Furthermore it included a number of buildings in addition to the main house, there was a great gatehouse, a row of shops built against the street, a forge, and verious farm buildings. [3]
The Pilgrims’ Rest is a Wealden-style house located on the edge of the Abbey Green, a short distance from the gatehouse. Originally the abbey’s almonry, and constructed in its present form during the mid-fifteenth to early sixteenth centuries, it is presently leased out by English Heritage as a restaurant. The first mention of a building on this site is the town rental of c.1110, which describes a messuage which ‘stands by the gate of the abbey, near the house of the pilgrims, which is called the hospital, on the north side’. It was still in the hands of the abbey almoner in the early fourteenth century, by which time it was only one element of an extensive complex of almonry buildings including barns, stalls, workshops and gatehouses. The earliest part of the present structure (Figure 2.19) is a stone wall survives at its northern end, which is mentioned as having been repaired by masons in 1430-31. The remainder of the present house was constructed in two main phases during the 1440s as a close-studded 3-bay ‘Wealden-fronted’ structure incorporating a 2-bay open hall. The layout was significantly modified until the early part of the sixteenth century, including in 1528/9 alterations to the layout to give a large three-bay rear parlour with a good quality ceiling. A first floor and chimney were subsequently inserted into the formerly open hall, probably soon after the Dissolution. By the early twentieth century, the building had been divided into cottages, but was essentially unaltered from its sixteenth century form. Harold Brakspear restored it to its original open-hall form in work completed by his son. It passed into the hands of the state along with the rest of the abbey in 1976, whereafter it was leased as a tearoom. [4]

Sources

Associated Events

• The Pilgrims Rest, Battle : Historic Building Survey (Ref: 207)

Associated Monuments

• MES3355 - Part of: Battle Abbey, Battle : Norman/Medieval Abbey (Monument)

Associated Finds - none recorded

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