Pippin Cottage

Pippin Cottage was built for Miss Daisy Walton around 1961/62.  Her father, Octavius had been our vicar from 1906 to 1918.  The land had been part of the very large Old Vicarage grounds and, when the Church authorities decided that the Old Vicarage was too large, even for a vicar such as John Bounds, his family and the many types of group meetings that they had in the house, the authorities decided to build new, much smaller vicarage and to sell the Old Vicarage (it was bought by the Jackson family).  At the same time they sold the piece of land on which Pippin Cottage was to be built.  Both new houses were built by Gilbert Butcher & Son from Penshurst.

After Daisy Walton died, Pippin Cottage was bought by Dr Jeremy and Mrs Monica Cecil who moved from Penshurst Road.  The Cecils lived there until 1977 when Dr Cecil died and Monica moved to Farm Lane, Tonbridge.

The cottage was bought by Lionel and Maggie Skingley (Lionel was a solicitor and a coroner) who expanded the house considerably.

After some personal difficulties, the Skingleys moved on and the cottage was bought in 1994 by John and Lisa Srotya who again expanded the property considerably in 2000, both the upstairs and downstairs.  The architect was Derek Hopcroft.  The position of the front door was changed and a large family room built behind it on the N.W. corner of the house.  Upstairs, two bedrooms and an extra bathroom were added.  The extension was built by Durtnells.

by Chris Rowley, May 2014