Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1527 to 1587. A timber framed building, this was built to accomodate a Free Grammar School, set up by charter in 1576 and built in 1587. The schoolroom occupied the first floor, with the area beneath mostly open. In the 19th century, the building was encased in weatherboarding and the ground floor bricked up. The Grammar School moved to new premises in 1879, since when this has been a Freemasons Hall.

Monument Types

• HOUSE (Medieval to Modern - 1527 AD to 2050 AD)
• FREEMASONS HALL (Post Medieval to Modern - 1879 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 06 SW 11:
[TR 0185 6163] Masonic Hall. Formerly Grammar School [NR] (1) The Masonic Hall, Faversham, was originally the Free Grammar School, founded in 1527, built in 1587 and moved to another site in 1879. (2) Building as described. In good condition. See GPs, AO/63/127/1 1 2. (3) The Masonic Hall (formerly listed under The Shooting Meadows), Grade II*, Abbey Place. Originally the Free Grammar School, founded in 1527,built in 1587 and moved to another site in 1879. Photographs in NMR. Walls to north-east and south-west of the Masonic Hall, including gateway to the north-east, Grade II, Abbey Place. Walls 18th century and earlier. (For full descriptions see list.) (4) A grammar school was founded at Faversham in 1526 by the Rev. John Cole, Warden of All Soul's College, Oxford. This school remained in existence until c. 1540, and was accommodated in the abbey complex (TR06 SW 9) until its dissolution in 1538. In 1573, Queen Elizabeth was petitioned by members of Faversham corporation to re-establish the school. In 1576 the "charter of confirmation of the free grammar school" was made. The schoolhouse was built soon after and the grammar school remained there until it was closed in 1879. The schoolroom measures 50ft. x 20ft. Of particular significance was the school library - one of the earliest in Kent. Externally, the appearance of the building today dates from the 19th century, but the basic components remain as they were in the 16th century. It consists of the first-floor schoolroom, with an adjoiningsmaller room for the master's use, supported by moulded hexagonal oak pillars. Access was by a staircase from the covered playground below,next to which was a small room used to house the library. In 1847 a new staircase was built and the ground floor room extended to form a porter's lodge. The library was moved to the first floor study, the timber-framed building encased in weatherboarding, and at some earlierperiod three sides of the playground were bricked in (see IllustrationCard). (5) Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Faversham, built in 1587 by NicholasClerke and Lewis Browne. (6)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
ABBEY PLACE 1. ----------- 1103 The Masonic Hall (formerly listed under The Shooting Meadows) TR 0161 NE 1/69 29.7.50. II*
2. Originally the Free Grammar School, founded in 1527, built in 1587 and moved to another site in 1879. The construction of the building is similar to the contemporary Guildhall. It is a timber-framed building originally standing on an open arcade consisting of 2 rows of 5 octagonal columns supporting heavy beams with brackets attached to them, the 1st floor overhanging on a bressummer on each side. Only a small portion of the ground floor at the North end was enclosed with a timbered wall. The remainder was originally open and used as a play-ground. Above was the School-room and the Master's Study. Now the whole of the ground floor has been built in, but it is recessed, still leaving the columns of the arcade on each side free. The 1st floor is faced with weather-boarding. On the East side are 5 modem casement windows, now obscured with black paint. Tiled roof. At the North and South ends are gables overhanging on bressummers with cove beneath, also moulded bargeboards which have recently been renewed, but without their original pendants at apex and angles. 6-light windows on these fronts with wooden mullions and transoms. Panelling inside. Photographs in NMR. Listing NGR: TR0185161636 (10)

<1> OS 1:1250 1958 (OS Card Reference). SKE48176.

<2> MHLG (1103/11/A June 1949) 27 (OS Card Reference). SKE46911.

<3> F1 ASP 02-AUG-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE41890.

<4> DOE (HHR) Faversham Boro Kent August 1972 2 (OS Card Reference). SKE40565.

<5> Cantium Kent Local Hist Society 6 No 2 Faversham Special Issue Summer 1974 28-31 photos (A Munden) (OS Card Reference). SKE38583.

<6> Buildings of England (ed N Pevsner) NE and E Kent 1983 319 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38404.

<7> Field report for monument TR 06 SW 11 - August, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5283.

<8> THE MASONIC HALL, FORMERLY FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AT FAVERSHAM FROM SOUTH. (Photograph). SKE2552.

<9> Photograph of the Masonic Hall (Photograph). SKE2553.

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

Sources and further reading