Description

The following building shall be upgraded:-

1. ABBEY FIELDS
1103
TR 0261 8/96 Abbey Farmhouse
GV II*

Farmhouse Circa C13 or early C14, later alterations including a remodelling
by Sir George Sondes in late C17 or early C18. Flemish bond brick, the
south elevation is rendered and lined out as masonry; the timber-framing
of the Medieval range survives at least in its north wall. Plain tile
roof gable ended main range with catslide at rear and hipped over left-hand
west range. Red brick axial and end stacks.

Plan and development: The main east range, which faces approximately south,
has a cross-wing at the left west end and an outshut at the back north.

The main east range is all that remains of a larger Medieval building of
C13 or early C14 date. It has a scissor-brace roof which is not smoke-
blackened. Later in the Middle Ages the roof was reinforced by the insertion
of a crown-post and collar-purlin. It is uncertain when the Medieval building
was reduced. in size, but it ought to have been as late as the late C17
or early C18 when Sir George Sondes remodelled it. He built the outshut
behind (north) and the cross-wing at the left west end which has a parlour
at the back and a small room at the front, but the entrance hall and staircase
were installed in the left end of the earlier range which on the ground
floor became a large kitchen with a gable-end stack, probably also added
in the late C17 or early C18.

The original Medieval building was probably associated with the Abbey,
the site of which is very close, but its original function is uncertain
and not necessarily domestic.

Exterior: 2 storeys and attic. Asymmetrical south front. The old range
has C18 and C19 2 and 3-light casements, 2 on the first floor have moulded
lintels that to the right is an C18 3-light window with leaded panes and
on the ground floor below a 3-light casement with glazing bars. To the
left the doorway with a moulded flat canopy, early C18 doorcase and C20
panelled door. The late C17 or early C18 cross-wing projects to the left
with an C18 12-pane sash on each floor and a band at first floor level;
the right hand return of the wing has a narrow C18 8-pane sash on each
floor.

The cross-wing has a hipped roof with a moulded eaves cornice, its
symmetrical 4-bay left hand west elevation, the garden front has a brick
band at first floor level and C18 12-pane sashes with moulded eaves in
segmental-headed openings, the ground and first floor windows to the right
of centre are blind and the ground floor window to the left of centre is
an C18 garden door, the lower sash a door panelled below the rail.

The rear (north) side has a hipped dormer in the cross-wing and to the
left the main roof is carried down as a catslide over the outshut. The
east gable end has 2 doorways on the ground floor and a 12-pane sash on
the first floor.

Interior: is largely the result of the late C17 or early C18 remodelling
The ground floor of the cross-wing has fielded 6-panel doors; the parlour
has a panelled dado and panelled cupboard doors but the ceiling and chimney
piece have been replaced. A closet off the parlour has a cupboard with
shaped shelves. There is a good dog-leg staircase with a moulded string,
heavy chamfered hand-rail, turned balusters and turned newels with ball
finials. The staircase appears to be late C17 rather than C18. On the
first floor there are late C17 or early C18 3-panel doors and a C17 moulded
plank door. The kitchen has plastered-over ceiling beams and a large fireplace
with a chamfered timber lintel and a large oven with a C19 iron door.
The timber framing of the rear wall can be seen from the roof-space of
the outshut.

Roof: The main range has a Medieval scissor-braced roof below which a crown
post and collar-purlin have been inserted to prevent racking. There is
no smoke-blackening of the timbers. The rectangular crown-post has curved
braces to the tie-beam and one curved brace to the collar-purlin. The
Medieval roof was hipped and the purlin has a curved bracket to the hip
rafter, but the roof has been extended to a gable end with common rafters
and without a ridgepiece. The roof over the cross-wing has large common
rafters which were probably reused from a Medieval roof.

Note: Abbey Farm probably belonged to the Benedictine Abbey of Faversham
founded in 1147. After the Dissolution, the Abbey belonged to the Diggs
family and later the Sondes who held Abbey Farm until recently when it
was sold to Wadham College Oxford. Jacob's History of Faversham, 1774
states that Abbey Farmhouse was built by Sir George Sondes.

Source: Traditional Kent Buildings (1988), No. 6, p.p. 16 to 27.

------------------------------------

ABBEY FIELDS
1. ------------
1103
Abbey Farmhouse
TR 0261 8/96
II

2.
L-shaped building, of which the front dates from the C18 and the east
wing is probably older but refronted. 2 storeys. 3 windows facing
west, 3 windows, facing south. Front red brick, east wing cemented.
Moulded wooden eaves cornice. Tiled roof. The front has sash windows,
those on the ground floor with cambered head linings and all with
glazing bars intact. The east wing has casement windows, 1 with
small square leaded panes. Photograph in NMR.

Listing NGR: TR0213661802

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17546188

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
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