TQ 89343000 Harbour Master's House; probably 15th century. (1) Smallhythe Place, the house of Ellen Terry, an early 15th century half-timbered house, close-studded with the upper storey overhanging right across the front. Restored. SMALLHYTHE PLACE, for nearly thirty years the country home of Dame Ellen Terry, was built about 1480 though the southern block may be slightly later. The north end of the house was probably originally jettied. The timbering is of the usual 15th Century post and pantype and the old red tiled roof is particularly attractive. The structure has been considerably altered from time to time and has suffered both from the elements and enemy action in the last war. But it has retained its essential character and is a sturdy testimonial to the soundness of late 15th Century building. Known locally as 'The Farm', it served first as the Port House to what was then a thriving ship-yard (TQ 83 SE 52) acquiring its new name and purpose when the sea receded and agriculture took the place of navigation. Dame Ellen bought the property in 1899, and it was here on July 21st, 1928, that she died: here, too, at the little Tudor church a few hundred yards beyond her house, the first funeral service was held. In 1939, Dame Ellen's daughter, Miss Edith Craig, presented Smallhythe Place to the National Trust as a memorial to her mother. It is entirely due to Miss Craig's enterprise that the house and its contents have been so carefully preserved. With an affectionate determination she interested others in the project, raised the funds to carry it out, personally supervised the arrangement of the exhibits, and was, for some years, solely reponsible for the care and upkeep of the Memorial. (2) 1. 1715 SMALLHYTHE ROAD (East Side) Smallhythe Place TQ 83 SE 3/84 TQ 82 NE 8/84 8.5.50. II* GV 2. The Ellen Terry Memorial Museum. Now the property of the National Trust. The house was occupied by Ellen Terry for many years until her death and is furnished much as during her occupation. A C15 timber-framed house with close-studding, the 1st floor overhanging on the protruding ends of the floor joists, the south end propped up of 3 posts. 2 storeys. Tiled roof with renewed brick chimneystack. 5 modern casement windows and 1 sash. The roof slopes to 1 storey at the rear. Attached to the back is an C18 stable building of 2 storeys, the ground floor part brick and part weatherboarded. Half-hipped tiled roof. Barn in Grounds of Smallhythe Place TQ 83 SE 3/84A II GV 2. This was fitted up as a theatre by Edith Craig after Ellen Terry's death. 1 storey timber-framed and plastered with a half-hipped thatched roof with weatherboarded gable. Smallhythe Place and Barn form a group. (3) Smallhythe Place, the house of Ellen Terry, an early 16th century half-timered house, close-studded with the upper storey overhanging right across the front. Restored. (4)

Description from record TQ 82 NE 21:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 1715 SMALLHYTHE ROAD (East Side)
Smallhythe Place TQ 83 SE 3/84 TQ 82 NE 8/84 8.5.50.
II* GV
2. The Ellen Terry Memorial Museum. Now the property of the National Trust. The house was occupied by Ellen Terry for many years until her death and is furnished much as during her occupation. A C15 timber-framed house with close-studding, the 1st floor overhanging on the protruding ends of the floor joists, the south end propped up on 3 posts. 2 storeys. Tiled roof with renewed brick chimneystack. 5 modern casement windows and 1 sash. The roof slopes to 1 storey at the rear. Attached to the back is an C18 stable building of 2 storeys, the ground floor part brick and part weatherboarded. Half-hipped tiled roof. Smallhythe Place and Barn form a group. Listing NGR: TQ8934230146

Additonal bibliography. (6)

Building survey undertaken by Archaeology South Eat in 2005. Three main phases of construction. The building was built c.1514 and consisted of a timber framed building measuring 19.75m x 6.7m, with the western and southern ends jettied. Unusually, it had six bays on the ground floor but only five on the first floor. There is evidence for a pair of two-storey ranges at the rear, one at each end. In the late C16 or early C17 there were a number of alterations. A partition was added on the first floor and ceiling added to first floor rooms (thus creating a separate attic space). A brick chimney was (re)built. Further alterations were made in the mid-late C19, most notably the addition of a stable block. (7)

Historic England archive material: BF039719 Smallhythe Place, Small Hythe Road, Tenterden

<1> F1 CFW 09-OCT-62 (OS Card Reference). SKE42502.

<2> Ellen Terry Mem Nat Trust Pamphlet 1967 (OS Card Reference). SKE41581.

<3> DOE (HHR) Boro of Tenterden Kent June 1972 56-7 (OS Card Reference). SKE39891.

<4> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 2nd Ed 1980 531 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37947.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 82 NE 6 - October, 1962 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4307.

<6> Archaeology South-East, 2005, Archaeological and Historic Landscape Survey, Smallhythe Place Kent (Unpublished document). SKE16623.

<7> Archaeology South-East, 2005, An Archaeological Interpretative Survey of Smallhythe Place, Tenterden, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE17050.