Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1793 to 1801 Built between 1793 and 1801. Built near the site of a 14th century castelled manor house which was demolished circa 1800 Early 19th century stables to Mote House. Stone Pavilion in Mote Park, erected in 1801.

Monument Types

• MANOR HOUSE (HOUSE, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1300 AD to 1800 AD?)
• HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1793 AD to 1801 AD)
• BOUNDARY WALL (Post Medieval - 1800 AD? to 1800 AD?)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 75 SE 28 :
(TQ 78135497) Mote House (NAT) (1) Mote House. Built between 1793 and 1801. Early 19th century stables to Mote House. Stone Pavilion in Mote Park, erected in 1801. (For full descriptive text, see list). (2) TQ 781551. Maidstone. Mote House. Listed as a Medieval moated site. (3) Additional bibliography. (4 - 5) TQ 78095499. Mote House, now used as a Cheshire Home, is as described.TQ 78115508. The stable block is fairly well preserved and is in use as a Council depot. TQ 77565442. The stone pavilion or temple is as described but is an early stage of decay. The medieval moat (3) was not identified. The present house was almost certainly the first building to occupy the high ground overlooking the large artificial lake. Presumably a moated site would lie on the lower slopes near the river but the banks of the River Len have become overgrown and the numerous small ponds are slowly silting up. The large lake created by damming the Len is used for recreational purposes. (6)

Archaeological evaluation, phase II to the east of Mote House reached the concrete foundations and the flint gravel surface. Evidence of recent alterations to the walls and floors to a structure built on the level base of a terrace excavated into the natural slope. Part of the modern (post C18th) building. (8)

Watching brief (2007), found evidence of Southern boundary wall (of the park) - a linear truncation with steep sides, but whose base was not visible. Presumed to be construction cut for earliest boundary wall c.1800. (9)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
MOTE PARK 1. 5278 Mote House TQ 75 SE 11/145 30.7.5l. II* GV
2. A large square mansion built for the Earl of Romney between 1793 and 1801. Architect Daniel Alexander. 3 storeys and basement stone faced. The north front is of white brick. Slate roof. The north front has 9 windows. Cornice and parapet. It consists of a centre and 2 projecting wings. The centre has segmental headed windows on the ground floor and recessed panels above them. The wings each have a lunette window on the 2nd floor and a curved bay of 3 windows each on the ground and 1st floor projecting furter than the wings with a cornice and parapet over which continues across the centre portion as a stringcourse Glazing bars intact. The south front, which is the principal front facing the park, has 11 windows. Cornice and parapet. Consists of a centre and 2 projecting wings. Breaking further fovward than the projection of the latter are curved bays of 3 windows each on the ground and lst floors with cornice and parapet over continued across the centre as a stringcourse. Lunette windows on the 2nd floor of each wing. Between the wings is a hexastyle Ionic portico with dentilled cornice. Glazing bars intact. The west or entrance front has 7 windows and a porch with Tuscan columns, closed in in the£mid C19. George III was entertained at the house in 1799 when he attended a review of Volunteers held in the Park by Lord Romney as Lord Lieutenant of Kent. The interior has been altered considerably. 1 ground floor room still has a decorated cornice dating from the time of building. The library has an C18 marble fireplace with swags and side scrolls and the entrance hall has a fireplace circa 1800. Group value with Stables to Mote House. Listing NGR: TQ7838355024 (10)

An historical building survey (2006) of the house and it's outbuildings prior to repair, conversion and new build. (1)

Archive material: AL2400/073/03 View of Mote House, near Maidstone, from the south-west

Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2006, Mote Park, Maidstone: An Historic Building Survey of the House and its Outbuildings (Unpublished document). SKE15998.

Maidstone Borough Council, 2008, Mote Park, Maidstone (Unpublished document). SKE16008.

<1> OS 1:10000 1979 (OS Card Reference). SKE48165.

<2> DOE (HHR) Dist of Maidstone Kent Aug 1974 79 (OS Card Reference). SKE40304.

<3> Moated Sites Res Gp No 6 1979 47 (OS Card Reference). SKE47263.

<4> Bldgs of Eng - West Kent and the Weald 1980 413-414 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37687.

<5> Arch Cant 93 1977 222 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE36151.

<6> F1 MJF 12-AUG-86 (OS Card Reference). SKE43024.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 75 SE 27 - August, 1986 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3978.

<8> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2008, Archaeological evaluation (phase II), at Mote House, Mote Park, Maidstone. (Unpublished document). SKE13546.

<9> Kent Archaeological Projects, 2007, An archaeological watching brief at Mote Park, Maidstone, on the route of Phase II of the pipeline between Hockers Lane and Linton, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE13558.

<10> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading

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