Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1400 to 1699. A 15th century timber-framed Wealden hall house: dendrochronological work on the building suggests an initial build date of circa 1430-1435. It was altered in the 16th-17th centuries with the addition of a wing. The building features close studded timber framing. The extant building has two stories plus modern skylights to its large, steep hipped tiled roof. There has been some debate in the sources as to whether this is a true wealden house and if there was a further bay to the right end: more recent building survey and the evidence of foundations discovered during the creation of a soakaway suggest that there was a further bay at this end and that the house originally conformed to a normal Wealden type. A further feature of the house is an undated row of 8 stone and brick niches thought to have been used as bee boles.

Monument Types

• WEALDEN HOUSE (Medieval to Modern - 1400 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 93 SW 7 :
Hendon Place, woodchurch, late 15th century, close-studded half-timbering, making what looks like two-thirds of a Wealden hall-house. The left end has its upper floor jettied out, the eaves are carried on braces across the next two bays, but where one expects the balancing jettied bay at the right end, the house stops. The big hipped roof suggests that there never was another bay. (1)

Cut wall plates and excavations in 1970 show there was originally another bay. Dendrochronology dating gave a date range of 1410-1442. (2)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
WOODCHURCE THE GREEN 1. 5272 No 15 (Hendon Place) TQ 9434 22/528 4.6.52. II*
2. C15 timber framed and close-studded building with plaster infilling, the 1st floor of the easternmost window bay oversailing on the protruding ends of the floor joists and brackets. Wide over-hanging eaves supported on brackets. Very steeply pitched hipped tiled roof with end gables and massive brick chimney stack. Three sashes with glazing bars intact end 2 shallow bays on ground floor. Interior contains 2 massive crown posts still partially soot encrusted, a dragon beam, a dais beam, chamfered beams on the 1st floor and some original window openings. C16 to C17 wing containing a chimney stack with 2 inglenooks a bread oven and a possible smugglers hide over. The house at one time belonged to the broadcloth manufacturers who owned Hendon Place in Biddenden.
Listing NGR: TQ9437534909 (3)

<1> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 2nd Ed 1980 614 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37956.

<2> Vernacular Architecture Group, ADS Dendrochronology Database, Vol. 35, Pg. 76 (Website). SKE17391.

<3> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading