Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Walpole House housed a succession of military headquarters during the Second World War. Most importantly, perhaps, for a period preceding the middle of August 1943, the Canterbury Sub-District headquarters were at Walpole House. It was thereafter used as the report centre for Exercise Harlequin

Summary from record TR 15 NE 98:

16 Cathedral Precinct, Meister Homers

Summary from record TR 15 NE 671:

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1400 to 1899

Summary from record TR 15 NE 943:

Following the Blitz of 1942, 944 Mobile Balloon Squadron, responsible for the Canterbury balloon barrage established headquarters at 16 Cathedral Precincts.

Monument Types

• HOUSE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1899 AD)
• MILITARY HEADQUARTERS (Modern - 1940 AD? to 1944 AD?)

Full description

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Walpole House - a large, eighteenth-century brick building, containing fabric from the medieval Archbishop’s Palace - housed a succession of military headquarters during the Second World War. Most importantly, perhaps, for a period preceding the middle of August 1943, the Canterbury Sub-District headquarters were at Walpole House. It was thereafter used as the report centre for Exercise Harlequin
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : unknown
Date of visit :

Description from record TR 15 NE 98:
[TR 15235792] Meister Homors [NR]. (1) The Meister Homers - medieval house, east end of Christchurch Precincts. (2) No 16 Cathedral Precincts (Meister Omers) Grade II. 19thc exterior to an early 15thc building which was originally a lodging for the Prior's guests. (3) A detailed survey has been made of 'Meistes Omers' built in the 1530 for Cardinal Beauft, Bishop of Winchester. The whole of the main east-west stone building survives. Only the northern extension (excavated in 1978-9) was destroyed in the 17th and 19th centuries. (4) House c1400, much restored in 1860's. (5)

Description from record TR 15 NE 671:
Description from record TR 15 NE 943:
Following the Blitz of 1942, Canterbury was provided with a barrage of twenty-four balloons, in two flights of twelve, the responsibility of 944 Mobile Balloon Squadron. A reconnaissance party recommended that the Squadron headquarters be established, along with that of ‘A’ Flight, at ‘Meister Homors’ (No. 16 Cathedral Precincts). The Squadron HQ does indeed seem to have been established here, although the flight HQs seem to have been established elsewhere - at least by the start of July 1942. In mid 1944, the Canterbury Balloon Barrage departed, to join in the defence of London against the new flying bomb threat.
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : unknown
Date of visit :

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 944 THE CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS
No 16 (Meister Omers) TR 1557 NW 5/10 3.12.49.
II
2. C19 exterior to an early C15 building which was originally a lodging for the Prior's guests. 2 storeys and attics, flint faced with stone quoins. Steeply pitched tiled roof with 5 hipped dormers. Buttresses. Mullioned and transomed windows. Mediaeval work in the south-west corner and at the back; stone quoins, a blocked arch and C15 windows, The interior has Elizabethan wall paintings.
Listing NGR: TR1524157923 (10)

<1> OS 1/500 1874 (OS Card Reference). SKE48131.

<2> Arch Cant 13 1880 116-121 (J Brigstocke Sheppard) (OS Card Reference). SKE34681.

<3> DOE (HHR) City of Canterbury Kent Sept 1973 68 (OS Card Reference). SKE40129.

<4> CAT Ann Rep 1979-80 32-3 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38661.

<5> Hist Builds Survey Cant City Council/RCHME 57022 6 of 12 (OS Card Reference). SKE43848.

<6> Canterbury Fortress headquarters, 01/01/42, War Diary Canterbury Fortress 1942 (Unpublished document). SKE15452.

<7> Siting of Barrage Balloons, Canterbury (Unpublished document). SKE15453.

<8> Canterbury Sub-District Headquarters, 01/01/43, War Diary Canterbury Sub-District 1943 (Unpublished document). SKE15450.

<9> Canterbury Sub-District Headquarters, 01/01/43, War Diary Canterbury Sub-District 1943 (Unpublished document). Ske15450.

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

Sources and further reading