Details
STONEACRE LANE
TQ 75 SE OTHAM
(West Side)
3/237 Stoneacre, and
path between
front door and
25.7.52 road
II*
House, formerly farmhouse, now house. Late C15 or early C16, with mid
C16 alterations. Restored circa 1922-1928, by Aymer Vallance, with a
re-erected wing from North Bore Place, Chiddingstone, bearing dates
1547 and 1629. Main range timber-framed, with rendered infilling.
North end addition roughly coursed stone to ground floor, first floor
rendered, with exposed principal posts. North Bore Place wing with
coursed stone to ground floor and exposed framing above. South addition
with re-used bricks in English bond from North Bore Place to ground floor
and 1920s close-studding with rendered infilling to first floor. Plain
tile roofs. East-facing open hall of 2 roughly equal-length timber-
framed bays, with integral cross-wing to south, and formerly with
storeyed bay or bays to north. Cross-wing comprises 3 timber-framed bays,
projecting forwards, with integral 2-storey lean-to on north side, in
re-entrant angle between wing and hall. Wing subdivided internally into
one 2-bay room on each floor towards front, with access from hall to
ground-floor room through "lean-to". Single-bay rear (west) room
formerly containing stairs, and with ground-floor access to front room,
hall and rear. North end bay or bays replaced in later C16 by linear
wing of 2 timber-framed bays. Wing of about 3 first-floor timber-framed
bays, from North Bore Place, added in 1920s, running west from west
elevation of north wing. Further 1920s addition to south comprising 2
rooms and lobby on first floor. Cross-wing 2 storeys, hall one storey,
on stone plinth. Linear north wing, and west wing (North Bore Place)
both 2 storeys, garret and cellar: Broadly-spaced close-studding to
cross-wing, with tension braces, and with ogee foot braces to plain
gable crown-post. Exposed principal posts to hall, and braced intermediate
stud to north hall bay. Decorative framing to first floor of west wing,
with 3 small square, quadrant-braced panels per storey. Cross-wing
jettied to front (including "lean-to") and to rear, with higher eaves
than hall, except where "lean-to" eaves continue from hall plate. North
wing with higher eaves than hall, gabled to south, half-hipped to north.
Hipped roof to south addition. Projecting stack of re-used red and grey
bricks in English bond to south addition. Multiple brick stack in front
slope of roof to south end of hall. Multiple brick ridge stack towards
south end of north wing, and ridge stack towards west end of west wing.
Irregular fenestration of 5 leaded windows; one re-used C16 twelve-light
mullioned and transomed oriel window on moulded cill, rising to coved
timber-framed eaves gable with pierced bargeboards to centre of south
addition, removed, with gable, from upper part of east window of hall.
One reconstructed 8-light mullioned and transomed oriel window on coved
and moulded base, with moulded, brattished cornice and 4-centred arched
frieze windows, to first floor of cross-wing. One small 2-light mullioned
window to first floor of."lean-to". Reconstructed canted 12-light bay
window filling south bay of hall, with stone base, ogee-headed upper
lights and moulded cornice. One 6-light mullioned and transomed C19
or early C20 casement to south end of north wing, and blocked window
under eaves towards north end. Canted 8-light mullioned and transomed
bay window to ground-floor of cross-wing, on stone base, with moulded
transom, mullions and cornice. Slender 2-light window to "lean-to"
and chamfered rectangular stone cellar light to north wing. Ovolo-
moulded mullioned and transomed windows to north gable end. Jettied
gable to west wing, with moulded bressumer and pendants, and with solid-
spandrel braces under bressumer, forming "apron" each side of moulded
10-light mullioned and transomed oriel window. Braces dated 1547 and
1629. Flush 12-light mullioned and transomed rear window to hall.
Moulded 4-centred arched doorway to north end of hall, with trefoiled
spandrels and boarded, largely medieval, door. Similar rear doorway
to hall with hollow spandrels. Narrow doorway, also similar, to rear
of cross-wing. Interior: exposed framing. Variety of moulded beams and
cornices, including moulded end-of-hall beams. Rare central crown-post
of 4 clustered shafts with moulded capitals and bases, set on moulded,
cambered tie-beam with moulded solid-spandrel arch-braces springing
from shafted principal posts with reconstructed moulded capitals and bases.
Ogee foot-braces to rebated end-of-hall pilaster crown-posts. Ashlar-
pieces and moulded cornice. Panelled screen, partly reconstructed,
between hall and cross-passage. 4-centred arched doorway between hall
and "lean-to" of cross-wing. Front ground-floor room of cross-wing
with moulded axial beams and cornice and moulded cross-beam with solid-
spandrel braces springing from moulded, shafted posts. First-floor room
above with rebated central and pilaster crown-posts and central tie-
beam with re-used moulded braces and reconstructed shafts. Original jambs
to oriel window of same room grooved for vertically-sliding shutters.
C16 moulded 4-centred arched stone fireplaces in situ, to ground and first
floors of north wing, and first floor of cross-wing. C16 inserted hall
ceiling with moulded cross and axial beams removed to specially-designed
room in south addition. Fittings recovered from North Bore Place, and
houses in Lynsted and Faversham, and re-used in Stoneacre, include
panelling (including linenfold panelling), carved and moulded C16 and C17
stone fireplaces, some with overmantels and one partly painted, 4-centred
arched wooden doorways and a wooden newel staircase. Path: stone
rubble footpath approximately 30 metres long between front door and garden
gate, included for group value. Property of the National Trust.
(Country Life, 22nd and 29th March 1930).
Listing NGR: TQ7998053494
