Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The Tithe Barn, a Grade I listed building, is a large 14th century tithe barn which was subsequently used as the stables of the Archbishop's Palace. It is now the Maidstone Borough Council's Carriage Museum.

Summary from record TQ 75 NE 467:

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1300 to 1399

Monument Types

• TITHE BARN (Medieval to Modern - 1300 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 7603 5548] Barn (NR) Carriage Museum (NAT) (1) A large 14th c. tithe barn in Mill Street, Maidstone, was subsequently used as the stable of the Archbishop's Palace, [TQ 75 NE 35] and is now the Maidstone Corporation Carriage Museum. Scheduled. (2-3) Correctly described. In good condition. GP/AO/64/110/6 and 64/119/7 (4) The Tithe Barn, Grade I. A large 14 c. Tithe barn which was subsequently used as the stables of the Archbishop's Palace. It is now the Maidstone Corporation Carriage Museum. (5) TQ 761555. Maidstone. Tithe Barn, Archbishop's Stables, Mill Street. Listed under Secular Sites & Buildings. Scheduled 22. (6) Additional bibliography. (7-10) It is now the Maidstone Borough Council Carriage Museum, as it superseded the Maidstone Corporation (12).

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 28/02/2017

TQ 7655 NW 2/69 TQ 7655 SW 7/69

MILL STREET (West Side) Tyrwhitt Drake Museum of Carriages The Tithe Barn

(Formerly listed as The Tithe Barn (Archbishop's Stables or Carriage Museum) Mill Street)

30.7.51

GV I A large C14 Tithe barn which was subsequently used as the stables of the Archbishop's Palace. It is now The Tyrwhitt Drake Museum of Carriages. Two storeys stone rubble. Hipped tiled roof, six bays with a buttress between each. The east front has six small narrow windows on each floor. The west front has five obtusely-pointed doorways (Two of them larger than the others) and a two-storeyed porch in the centre. The ground floor of the porch is of stone. Its first floor is timbered with modern brick infilling and projects on the protruding ends of the floor joists and brackets. It has a double loft door with a flight of stone steps leading up to it on the north side of the porch and a gable over. The west front also has five small windows on the first floor and one other doorway. Crown-post roof inside. Scheduled as an AM.

Gateway and Wall to Palace Gardens, Wall to north west of Archbishop's Palace, The Archbishop's Palace, Wall to east of Archbishop's Palace, The Dungeons at the Archbishop's Palace, The Gate House at the Archbishop's Palace, The Len Bridge, The Tithe Barn, Parish Church of All Saints, Wall to north and west of All Saints Church, The College Gateway, The College Tower, The Master's House, The Master's Tower, Cutbush Almshouses and the Ruined Gateway form a group.

Listing NGR: TQ7597455470 (14)

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:

Large hall on ground floor, 1st storey later insertion; outside staircase rare, about date of All Saints Church and College.
Barn consists of long hall-type structure of random Kentish rag, of two storeys, with clay tiled roof, on its west face there are 1) a timber roofed staircase (external and roofed) 2) main entrance under a pointed arch decorated with 2 coats of arms one now missing 3) above this door a projecting porch with gable 4) on left of porch 1 large door. 2 small windows and one large on first floor. South end blocked large window with pointed arch on 1st floor, east side - six small windows on each floor. Buttressed (edited AM12).
As on AM12. Good crown-post roof.
Interior divided into ground and upper floor, is still used as carriage museum (13).

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

<2> MHLG 1368/11/A Maidstone MB Nov 1949 30 (OS Card Reference). SKE47075.

<3> AM England & Wales 1961 59 (OS Card Reference). SKE33019.

<4> F1 ASP 25.02.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42271.

<5> DOE (HHR) Dist of Maidstone Area Kent 2.8.74 74 (OS Card Reference). SKE40285.

<6> DOE (IAM) AMs Eng 2 1978 114 (OS Card Reference). SKE40691.

<7> Bldgs of Eng-West Kent & the Weald 1980 406 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38157.

<8> Arch J 81 1924 377 (OS Card Reference). SKE36687.

<9> The Nat Trust guide to Our Industrial Past 1983 207 (A Burton) (OS Card Reference). SKE50438.

<10> Industrial Archaeology of South-East England 1978 49 (A J Haselfoot) (OS Card Reference). SKE44297.

<11> Field report for monument TQ 75 NE 47 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3818.

<12> Goacher, D.J., 2008, Personal Communication By Heritage Volunteer. (Verbal communication). SKE13345.

<13> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<14> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

Sources and further reading