Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1584 to 1983. Country house constructed from 1584 with additions of 1587 and 1591. The central block was constructed 1662-72. Later additions were made 1768-1770 and 1771-1773. The tudor style alterations were carried out in 1817-1818. The house has been in use as a school since 1981-82.

Monument Types

• COUNTRY HOUSE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1584 AD to 2050 AD)
• (Alternate Type) HOSPITAL (Modern - 1914 AD to 1918 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 66 NE 13 :
[TQ 68356891] Cobham Hall [T.I.] (1) Cobham Hall, the work of Inigo Jones flanked by Elizabethan wings with stone-mullioned windows and pepper-caster turrets. In red brick with stone dressings. The roof of the north wing has 1595 in its leadwork, and the mantle-piece in the picture gallery is dated 1599. James Stuart, Duke of Lennox, pulled down the greater part of the old middle house and give Inigo Jones the task of rebuilding. Parliament's soldiers seized Cobham Hall in 1642, and ten years later Inigo Jones died, leaving the work to be finished at the Restoration. The house was altered in the 18th and 19th centuries. (2) "Rebuilding was begun by the 10th Lord Cobham about 1580. The tradition that the Duke of Lennox employed Inigo Jones to design the rebuilding of the central hall about 1640 cannot be supported." (3) "Of some such kind as Yeoman's Hall but on a larger scale may have been the original Cobham Hall. Possibly the predecessor of the Elizabethan building was never of much extent, for after 1381, Cowling Castle seems to have been the Lords Cobham's principal residence. The earliest of the family to be recorded was Henry de Cobham, a Justice of Assize in 1199." See AO/59/160/3- 5. (4) The great marble mantelpiece at Cobham, produced by Giles de White in 1599 is probably the earliest marble mantel piece introduced into an English home. (5) Cobham Hall. The existing mansion is the work of three distinct periods. The north and south wings 1584-1603; the main portion of the central wing erected by Inigo Jones [see above] ; and the eastern face, some bedrooms to the central building,the stables, coach house and corridor 1770-1818, much of the kitchen square was also erected or rebuilt during this time. [Included is a detailed description of each room of the house, a valuation of the hall and park in the year 1698, and particulars of the Estate and Park in a transcipt of document dated August 13th, 1612.] (6) Cobham Hall,: a large brick built, Elizabethan & later mansion in good condition. Until recently the home of the Earls of Darnley but now possessed by the Ministry of Works. (7) Now in use as a Girls School but still owned by the MOW and still called Cobham Hall. (8) TQ 66 NE COBHAM 5/33

Tree ring analysis from 14 samples [18]. None could be individually dated.(17)

A history of the house and associated gardens, culminating in the 18th century arrangement, charts the development of the manor, estate, gardens and structures within the grounds. (20)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 66 NE COBHAM 5/33 27.8.52 Cobham Hall (including kitchen and stable court)
I
1584 onwards. One of the largest and most important houses in Kent. The seat of the De Cobham family since 1208, their house stood where the present centre block stands until 1662. The 2 brick wings forming the west court were built by William Brooke, Lord Cobham, the south wing between 1584 and 1587 and the north begun in 1591. The centre block was built by Charles Stuart sixth and last Duke of Lennox between 1662 and 1672 to the design of Peter Mills. In the early 18th century the house passed to John Bligh, later first Earl of Darnley. Between 1768 and 1770 Sir William Chambers altered the west front for the third Earl adding a storey. Between 1771 and 1773 a 2-storey corridor was added along the north side of the centre block and the east or kitchen court was begun in style to match the 2 wings, also certain rooms were redecorated in the classic style. The 4th Earl who inherited in 1771 employed James Wyatt who designed the bridge connecting the north front to the terrace forming an entrance under a porte-cochere. He also executed some gothic work inside and added decorative detail to the hall. Between 1817 and 1818 George and John Repton made some alterations in Tudor style and put in some bogus dates. The last alterations were to the Dining Room about 1840 apart from recent work for present occupation by a school.
The plan is an H. The centre block originally 2 and partly 3 storeys was extended from the centre 3 bays across the whole in 1768-70. Of red brick with stone cornice, brick parapet with stone finials and hipped slate roof. Nine sash windows with glazing bars in stone surrounds. Giant Corinthian pilasters of stone to 3 centre bays. Central door with engaged columns and curved broken pediment. Triple brick chimney stacks on end walls. Cast lead rainwater downpipes dated 1587 and 1662.
North front of west wing has 7 windows and 6 chimney stacks with twin shafts. Wide central projection with bay window of 7 and 2 lights on ground and 7 and 13 lights on first floor. Gable over with date 1812, similar small bay windows either side. Gabled porch at west end, at east end the tower breaks out into the bridge cum porte cochere added by Wyatt in 1802-4. The archway is in Roman Cement with stone buttresses and 2 windows each side. The interior forms a cloister with plastered walls.
To the east the kitchen court added in 1771-3 is in brick but with areas of C16 brickwork. Its north front has 10 windows and 5 chimney stacks with twin shafts. Four centred arched doorway of Bath stone with Latin inscription and date 1831. At north-east corner a projection in Tudor brick with 4 centred arched doorway.
The inner facade has 6 windows and a central one storey porch. The south side has 10 windows and 3 four centred arched stone doorways and a central projection. The east side has 8 windows and a wing with brick archway comprising stables and coach house was added by Wyatt in 1789-90. Inside is a projecting central clock tower of 3 storeys with clock face and bell, probably by Repton and dated 1818.
The main front is to the south with 2 storeys, basement and attic. Fifteen windows and 7 dormers behind a brick parapet. Casement windows on first floor, 6 and 9 lights
framed in stone. Sash and some French windows on ground floor inserted by 3rd Earl. Central porch of 2 storeys up 7 steps to round-headed stone doorway with pediment and date 1584. Three windows on each side with twin octagonal chimneys set on parapet. Then similar projections without doorways, 3 more windows and similar pair of twin chimneys. Terrace with brick parapet between projections containing tiny round windows lighting basement. At each end projecting octagonal towers of 4 storeys off a square base. Stone bands above third floor form lozenge pattern. Roofed with ogee lead covered cupolas with weathervane. The south side of the kitchen court extending to the east is of 2 storeys with stone string courses brick parapet and slate roof. Eight windows, casements of 6 lights on ground floor. Stone mullions. Central projection with gable contains C16 round-headed doorway and stone cartouche with date 1789. Two chimneys with octagonal stacks.
The inner face opposite the main south facade has 9 windows all 4 light casements in 2 tiers on ground floor and 3 above enclosed in stone. To west 2 chimney stacks with paired octagonal shafts. Stone oriel in 4th bay from east. Eighteen lights with pierced stone cresting over. Gabled dormer above flanked by scrolls. Stone pediment with finials and cresting. Round-headed doorway with stone Roman doric columns on pedestals. Triglyph frieze. Possibly designed by Giles de Witt. At west end a shallow bay of 14 lights on each floor and gable with finials. Inner face of north wing similar including bay at west end but with elaborate projecting porch dated 1594, possibly designed by Giles de Witt, round-headed arch flanked by twin Doric columns. Above on first floor 2 round-headed lights flanked by pairs of Ionic columns foliated to 1/3 height fluted above, in broken pediment the Darnley coat of arms flanked by vase finials.
Internally no work of C16 except elaborate alabaster marble and torch chimney pieces of Giles de Witt. The gilt Hall is of 1672 with marble wall decorations added by James Wyatt and thought by George IV to be the finest room in England, marble chimney piece by R Westmacott senior. Snetzler organ of 1779. Vestibule in centre of south front by Sir William Chambers or Geoffrey Shakespeare. The hall square with apsidal end divided by a screen of the Corinthian order. The octagonal room on the first floor has Chinese wall-paper of 1770. Listing NGR: TQ6836668914 (21)


Cobham Hall was used as a convalescent facility for Australian soldiers at some time during WW1.

In 2018 Roger Cockett competed and unpublished research note regarding the early history of the Cobham Hall manor and its lords. (22)

Hazel Basford, 2004, Kent VAD - the work of voluntary aid detachments in Kent during the first World War (Unpublished document). SKE31644.

Alan Ward, 2005, An Archaeological Recording Brief at Cobham Hall, Cobham, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12797.

Roger Cockett, 2018, Research Note 4, The Manor of Cobham Hall (Unpublished document). SKE55270.

<1> O.S. 6" 1939 (OS Card Reference). SKE47830.

<2> Country Life, Vol.15, 1904, pp.906-13 fully illust. (OS Card Reference). SKE39480.

<3> Country Life, Vol.95, 1943, pp.1124-1127. (ChristopherHussey) (OS Card Reference). SKE39481.

<4> Country Life, Vol.95, 1944, p.200. (C. Hussey). (OS Card Reference). SKE39482.

<5> Eng. Homes Period 3, Vol.3, (1558-1649), p.XVIII, 1927, illustr. (H.A. Tipping) (OS Card Reference). SKE41605.

<6> Arch. Cant. Vol.11, 1887, pp.lxv-xc (OS Card Reference). SKE37105.

<7> F1 CFW 07-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42469.

<8> F2 CFW 20-OCT-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43262.

<9> DOE(HHR) Dist. of Gravesham, Kent. July 1983 1 (OS Card Reference). SKE41121.

<10> Arch J 126 1969 274-276 (J Harris) (OS Card Reference). SKE36571.

<11> Arch Cant 17 1887 373-378 (Scott-Robertson) (OS Card Reference). SKE34760.

<12> Bldgs of Eng West Kent and Weald 1980 231-237 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38100.

<13> Field report for monument TQ 66 NE 13 - July, 1959, Rigold, SE 1958 MS text and copies of Ministry of Works drawings in centre for Kentish Studies, Maid (Bibliographic reference). SKE3501.

<14> Field report for monument TQ 66 NE 13 - October, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3502.

<15> Rigold, SE 1958 MS text and drawings in Centre for Kentish Studies (OS Card Reference). SKE49262.

<16> Untitled Source, Report 1998/80. Tree ring analysis of timbers from the cupola capping of the SE tower at Cobham Hall (Unpublished document). SKE6451.

<17> English Heritage, 1998, Tree- Ring Analysis of Timbers from the Cupola Capping the Sout-East Tower at Cobham Hall, Gravesham/Gravesend, Dendrochronology (Unpublished document). SWX6798.

<18> English Heritage, 2003, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from Cobham Hall, Cobham, Kent (Unpublished document). SWX12845.

<19> English Heritage, 2003, Cobham Hall, Kent. Lady Darnley's Garden and The South Pleasure Grounds. Survey Report (Article in serial). SWX12868.

<20> English Heritage, 2002, Historical Account, Cobham Hall Estate, Part 2: The Gardens and Inner Grounds (Unpublished document). SKE17515.

<21> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<22> Roger Cockett, 2018, Research Note 4, The Manor of Cobham Hall (Unpublished document). SKE55270.

Sources and further reading

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