Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1635 to 1916 Broome Park Hotel, Canterbury Road, Barham. Grade I. This mansion was built by Sir Basil Dixwell between 1635 and 1638 and belonged to the Dixwell family until 1750, when it passed to the Oxenden family. It was altered and enlarged by Sir Henry Oxenden in 1778. In 1911 it was sold by the Oxenden family to Field Marshal the Earl Kitchener who owned it until his death in 1916. He made considerable alterations to the house, rejacobeanising some of the portions altered by Sir Henry Oxenden. The house is one of the finest mansions in England built during the reign of Charles I.

Summary from record TR 24 NW 159:

Broome Park was occupied by a succession of military units during the Second World War. The grounds used for training, roadblocks were established on the approaches and other defensive measures were taken. In September 1942 further extensive works began in the Park, including additional hutted workshops, and hard standings for tanks.

Monument Types

• COUNTRY HOUSE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1635 AD to 2050 AD)
• HOTEL (INN, Modern - 1928 AD to 1939 AD)
• MILITARY CAMP (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• HOTEL (Modern - 1945 AD to 1994 AD?)
• MILITARY CAMP (Modern - 1945 AD? to 1945 AD?)
• MILITARY CAMP (Modern - 1945 AD? to 1945 AD?)
• GOLF CLUB (Modern - 1994 AD? to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 24 NW 7:
[TR 21864824] Broome [NR] (1)

Broome Park Hotel, Barham. Built between 1635 and 1638. One of the finest mansions built in England temp. Charles I. (2)

Broome Park Hotel, as described above, is in excellent condition. See GP AO/64/142/1. (3)

Broome Park Hotel, Canterbury Road, Barham. Grade I. This mansion was built by Sir Basil Dixwell between 1635 and 1638 and belonged to the Dixwell family until 1750, when it passed to the Oxenden family. It was altered and enlarged by Sir Henry Oxenden in 1778. In 1911 it was sold by the Oxenden family to Field Marshal the Earl Kitchener who owned it until his death in 1916. He made considerable alterations to the house, rejacobeanising some of the portions altered by Sir Henry Oxenden. Much of the work was carried out by his own sappers from Brompton Barracks. (11). The house is one of the finest mansions in England built during the reign of Charles I. (4)

Between 1644 and May 1660 the house and estate were occupied by John Dixwell until his nephews coming of age. John Dxwell was a staunch Parliamentrian who was appointed one of the Commissioners for the trial of Charles I and who was one of the signatories to his death warrant. He was elected to the govering County Committee and later the Council of State but fled the country on the recalling of Charles II as he was excluded from the Act of Indemnity. (11).

[For full description see list]. Additional bibliography. (5-9)

Description from record TR 24 NW 159:
Before the Second World War, Broome Park was Lord Kitchener’s, seventeenth-century mansion in Barham. The house seems to have been vacant at the start of the war, which will have made it an obvious choice for military occupation. It was occupied by the Headquarters of the First Battalion (London Scottish) Gordon Highlanders from late October 1939, and the grounds used for training, temporary roadblocks were established on some of the approaches. Black-out measures were put in place and troops were specifically cautioned against defacing the walls: ‘The hanging of pictures and pinning on walls of magazine drawings, etc. in any of the rooms at Broome Park will cease forthwith. Disciplinary action will be taken against anyone found drawing or writing on walls.’ The expanded population put the electricity generators at the house under great stress. By February 1940 the Battalion were guarding a Royal Engineers Dump at the Park. A bewildering series of other units followed, including the 64th (7th London) Field Regiment Royal Artillery from September to November 1940; and 43 Division Supply Column Headquarters by mid December, departing the following February. The Headquarters of 49 Battalion Royal Tanks Regiment BHQ were here until the end of May 1941, handing over to 4 Royal West Kent Regiment. By the end of October 1941, 226 Anti-Tank Battery of 57 Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery, were stationed at Broome Park, in command of twelve mobile two-pounder anti-tank guns, by which time there was also a Regimental Aid Post here. In September 1942 204 Field Regiment Royal Engineers began works in the Park – it is not yet clear on whose behalf, possibly an armoured unit. These works included additional hutted workshops, and hard standings for tanks. The workshops, which were described as ‘repair shops’ were to be Romney Huts, but the ‘delivery of the 35’span shedding’ was delayed until at least the middle of January. By about October, if not earlier, in 1943, the Park was home to 34 Tank Brigade 153 Royal Armoured Corps – making sense of the hard standings. (In early to mid 1943 the park was referred to as ‘Camp D4 Home Forces’ and ‘Group 4 Headquarters’). Besides the main camp here, in 1943, the Court Lodge was the focus of a separate camp (‘D5’), and, late in the year, Eagle Gate Lodge housed the local contingent of the Corps Royal Engineers. This, again, probably reflects the tremendous opportunity that the vacant Broome Park offered for the concentration of troops. Given the density of occupation it is likely that extensive defensive works will have been constructed in the grounds, and each successive unit may have added to the arrangements.
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : Unknown
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : moderate
Date of visit :
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : Unknown
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : moderate
Date of visit :

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 5273 BARHAM CANTERBURY ROAD (nort-west side)
Broome Park Hotel TR 24 NW 18/22 29.9.52
I GV
2. This mansion was built by Sir Basil Dixwell between 1635 and 1638 and belonged to the Dixwell family until 1750, when it passed to the Oxenden family. It was altered and enlarged by Sir Henry Oxenden in 1778. In 1911 it was sold by the Oxenden family to Field Marshal the Earl Kitchener who owned it until his death in 1916. He made considerable alterations to the house, rejacobeanising some of the portions altered by Sir Henry Oxenden. The house is one of the finest mansions in England built during the reign of Charles I. Originally H-shaped with 3 storeys and cellars in red brick with tiled roof. The entrance front faces north-east and is still half H-shaped. The centre portion has 5 window bays, each flanked by pilasters rising through the ground and first floors. Cornice above 1st floor, the pilasters being continued above this. Five shaped Dutch gables, 4 of them small with triangular pediments and diamond-shaped openings but the centre one larger with a curved pediment above, the window below the gable also having a broken pediment over it and round-headed niche above. Central porch, added by Lord Kitchener in the place of the Georgian one which had replaced the original. This has a stone doorway up four steps with engaged Corinthian columns, an elaborate keystone, a pediment and elaborate carved double doors of six panels with an elaborate knocker. The projecting wings are flanked by double pilasters on both their end and inner faces and have one window and one gable each, the end gables flanked by scrolls, the inner surmounted by octagonal chimney stacks with elaborate tops, the gables being linked by a panelled parapet. Casement windows of 3 lights with stone mullions and transoms, the first floor windows having two tiers of lights and the ground floor windows three tiers of lights. The south-east front has 5 windows, the centre window being very narrow. The facade itself and each window bay is flanked by pilasters. Three gables over, the centre one flanked by scrolls and surmounted by triangular pediments. The south-west or main garden front has 11 windows. It was originaally half E-shaped, but in 1778 Sir Henry Oxenden added a 3rd projecting wing in Georgian style in the centre, which Lord Kitohener jacobeanised in 1911. The central projection is flanked by pilasters with a tall and elaborate dutch gable over flanked by scrolls. In front of this on the ground and first floors is a splayed bay of three windows added by Lord Kitchener in place of Sir Henry 0xenden's curved bay, the centre side being flanked by pilasters. At each end is a smaller similar gable with an oval opening and a smaller similar bay below. Between each of these bays and the central projection is one flush window flanked by pilasters with a triangular gable over, containing a diamond-shaped opening. The north-westernmost of these bays is a single window of four tiers of four lights rising through the ground and first floors. This lights the staircase. The north-west front is similar to that of south-east, plus a central doorway in brick architrave surround with a pediment and an elaborate carved door. The interior has an Elizabethan staircase brought by Lord Kitchener from a house in Essex, a pseudo Elizabethan hall with chimney pieces copied from Hatfield, and a Georgian drawing room in the wing added by Sir Henry Oxenden in 1778 which was probably designed by James Gandon. (Country Life articles Volume 22, page 18 and Volume 86, page 494). Listing NGR: TR2186848244 Formerly TR 24 SW 7 (12)

Additional references (13-20)

Historic England archive material: BF110008 Broome Park Hotel, Barha BL13822 Exterior view of the front elevation of Broome Park The country house was built by Sir Basil Dixwell between 1635-1638. At the time the photograph was taken the house was owned by the Oxenden family who later sold it to Field Marshall the Earl Kitchener.

<1> OS 25" 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48272.

<2> MHLG (1953/11/A Dec 1960) (OS Card Reference). SKE46943.

<3> F1 FGA 23-APR-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42964.

<4> DOE (HHR) Dist of City of Canterbury Kent March 1980 5 (OS Card Reference). SKE40228.

<5> English Homes Period 3 1558-1649 2 xviii 407 (H A Tipping) (OS Card Reference). SKE41650.

<6> Country Life 86 1939 494 illust (OS Card Reference). SKE39456.

<7> Country Life 22 no 548 18-25 (OS Card Reference). SKE39417.

<8> Arch J 126 1969 257 (M J Craig) (OS Card Reference). SKE36563.

<9> John Newman, 1969, The Buildings of England: North East and East Kent, The Buildings of England North East and East Kent 1983 165-167 89 101 336 373 (J Newman) (Monograph). SKE7874.

<10> Field report for monument TR 24 NW 7 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5668.

<11> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1995, Broome Park Golf and Country Club Proposed Leisure Development: Historic Environment Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE8312.

<12> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<13> 64 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, 01/01/40, War Diary 64 Field Regiment Royal Artillery 1940 (Unpublished document). SKE15140.

<14> Canterbury Sub-District Headquarters, 01/01/43, War Diary Canterbury Sub-District 1943 (Unpublished document). SKE15141.

<15> 44 Division General Staff, 01/01/41, War Diary 44 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). SKE15139.

<16> 49 Battalion Royal Tanks Regiment, 01/01/41, War Diary 49 Battalion Royal Tanks Regiment 1941 (Unpublished document). SKE15143.

<17> 204 Field Regiment Royal Engineers, 01/01/40, War Diary 204 Field Regiment Royal Engineers 1940 (Unpublished document). SKE15144.

<18> 57 Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery, 01/01/41, War Diary 57 Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (Unpublished document). SKE15142.

<19> 43 Division General Staff, 01/01/41, War Diary 43 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). SKE15138.

<20> 43 Division General Staff, 01/01/40, War Diary 43 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). SKE15145.

Sources and further reading

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