Listed Building record TQ 54 NE 72 - Hilden Manor, London Road, Tonbridge
Summary
Location
Grid reference | TQ 5806 4765 (point) Centred |
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Map sheet | TQ54NE |
Civil Parish | TONBRIDGE, TONBRIDGE AND MALLING, KENT |
District | TONBRIDGE AND MALLING, KENT |
Map
Type and Period (2)
Full Description
C17 or earlier. 1 storey and attic. 4 windows. Gable at each end of the front with a first floor window in it. 2 hipped dormers between. Tiled roof. Casement windows with small square leaded panes. Modern gabled porch at centre. 3 tall stacks, 1 to left. A modern extension has been built at the back of the house and this is not intended to be included in the listing (Information from Listed Buildings Online).
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. LONDON ROAD 1732 --------- Hilden Manor [previously listed as No 109 (Hilden Manor)] TQ 54 NE 8/82 8.5.50
II
2. C17 or earlier. 1 storey and attic. 4 windows. Gable at each end of the front with a first floor window in it. 2 hipped dormers between. Tiled roof. Casement windows with small square leaded panes. Modern gabled porch at centre. 3 tall stacks, 1 to left. A modern extension has been built at the back of the house and this is not intended to be included in the listing.
Listing NGR: TQ5806847656 (1)
The building was gutted in a fire in february 2005. Plans have been made to carry out an evaluation of the site, to fully record the building and assess its age. It is suggested that the building may date back to the fifteenth century (KM Extra March 18, 2005).
According to Hasted the ruins of what may have been an earlier 'manor house' could be seen at 'a small distance from Hilden-Green' until the 18th century when they were erased by Sir Thomas Dyke. Hasted also said that foundations of a house existed south of Hilden Green that may have represented Dachurst Place. Both of these supposed buildings may represent the same place, a precursor of Hilden Manor.
A building survey in 2005 concluded that Hilden Manor was constructed as a medieval open-hall house with a typical three-part arrangement. There was a central hall, of two bays, with wings at each side. There were later extensions to the north and west. The original building probably dates to the late 14th century.
From the survey report: "Hilden Manor is a large and fascinating building that, despite the recent fire, still contains a wealth of interesting historic features. A medieval open-hall house that dates perhaps to the late 14th century survives at the core of the property. The building has now grown to a considerable size but most of the additions are much later and not of the same interest. The remains of a timber-framed outshot, of probable sixteenth century date does, though, survive to the rear of the south cross-wing.
The open-hall was comparatively large, something that is consistent with its manorial status, and its occupation by someone belonging to the lower gentry. A house such as this would have been a significant feature in the landscape, one that has been shown, by the documentary study, to have formed an important part of the local medieval community.
Much of the fabric of the original hall house is, though, now missing…The most impressive medieval feature of the building has though survived, albeit now charred. This is the base-cruck frame that crosses the centre of the former open hall. Base crucks are rare, and usually only found in early hall houses. The presence of such a feature here makes the building of some interest and importance. The remains of an engaged column, with a carved capital, at the bottom of the west cruck, further adds to the interest of the building. The north service wing is also unusual, as it appears to have lacked a floor, something that again suggests we are looking at an early medieval house.
The south wing is better preserved than the north wing and hall and a more complete picture was therefore gained of this part of the building. Much of the timber framed first floor and elements of the roof survive. The wing was probably added later, perhaps at the beginning of the fifteenth-century, replacing an earlier in-line wing, however (this) has not yet been proven. The wing would have been an attractive addition to the building, one that would certainly have enhanced its status. The wing was originally double-jettied to the south and east, and had a handsome crown-post roof. Alas this roof has now been all but destroyed by the fire but sufficient evidence survived to reconstruct its form, should this be desired.
The medieval building has seen many alterations since it was built. The hall, like many of its contemporaries, has been floored and a brick chimney introduced. The south bay was floored first. The moulded beams abnd joists here, which date perhaps to the sixteenth century, are an attractive feature. Unfortunately fire has damaged this floor, but many of the common joists, which were ceiled behind lath and plaster, have survived unscathed.
The hall's roof was rebuilt in the late seventeenth century, and included two oak framed dormer windows. Whilst this later fabric is not of quite the same interest as the medieval fabric, it nonetheless forms an important part of the building's development and should not be overlooked. Underpinning of the timber-framed elevations of the building in brick appears to have begun at this time, starting with the front of the hall. This transformation appears to have continued piecemeal into the nineteenth century.
Documentary research has abundantly confirmed the building's purported manorial status, and examined the conditions leading up to its construction. It has been possible, tentatively, to reconstruct the extent and character of the manor's medieval estate and something of its original landscape setting. The estate probably included arable fields on the hill to the north of the road, and meadows on the Medway floodplain. Possible sites have been identified of an earlier manor house and of a demollished stretch of road that led to Leigh, which the present house formerly fronted." (2)
Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2006, An Archaeological Watching Brief at Hilden Manor, Tonbridge, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE15918.
<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.
<2> Canterbury Archaeological trust, 2005, Hilden Manor, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent: an architectural and historical study (Unpublished document). SKE13436.
Sources/Archives (3)
- --- SKE15918 Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 2006. An Archaeological Watching Brief at Hilden Manor, Tonbridge, Kent.
- <1> SKE16160 Map: English Heritage. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
- <2> SKE13436 Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological trust. 2005. Hilden Manor, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent: an architectural and historical study.
Finds (0)
Protected Status/Designation
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- Non-Intrusive Event: Historic building recording at Hilden Manor, Tonbridge, 2005 (Ref: HLD/BR/05) (EKE9732)
- Intrusive Event: Watching brief at Hilden Manor, Tonbridge (Ref: HMT/WB/06) (EKE10255)
Record last edited
Sep 13 2010 11:46AM