Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1567 to 1999 Old Hall is a half-timbered stone house dated 1650. Many original features remain such as floors, partition walls and roofs.There is also a central group of brick chimneys with wide fireplaces in the kitchen and dining room. During the reign of Queen Anne the house was added to and it was part of this which burnt down in the mid 18th century. It was being used as a Rectory at that time.

Some time during 1939-45 a gardener found a late 14th or 15th century brass signet ring with a reversed Lombardic H ( probably for Henricus) on bezel. The ring is kept at Maidstone Museum.

In the grounds a passage way has been located leading into a vaulted chamber. A second passage way was also located. Both were cleared but for short distances only. The chamber is possibly 2.5m wide and high. See also TQ 75 SW 53

The building was known as "Hall Place" until 1920.

Monument Types

• HOUSE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1567 AD to 2050 AD)

Associated Finds

• RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• RING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 75 SW 26 :
[TQ 72195458] Hall Place Farm [NAT] (1) Late 14c. or 15c. brass signet ring, with a reversed Lombardic 'H' probably Henricus, on bezel, found in the garden of Old Hall, Barming, by the gardener 1939-45. Now the prop. of the owners. (2) 'In the 17c. the Halls moved out of their old home, Hall Place into this house, then newly-built. Date of erection in the church records is 1650. They bought the name with them, but about 1920, the then owner changed the name to what it is today, Old Hall, and she restored the house. During Queen Anne's reign, the house was added to, and it was a part of this building which was burnt down in a fire in the mid-18c. Our old gardener, some years ago, whilst digging out damson trees uncovered a passage-way a few yards from the rear of our house. We went down and cleared it, also a vaulted chamber into which it led,and also the beginning of another passage at the other end but running at right angles to the first. We think the chamber to have been concerned with smuggling. Old Hall was a Rectory in the 18c, at the time it was burnt. The signet ring found by our gardener is now on permanent loan to Maidstone Museum. I have many coins found near the same spot in my possession, including a George III penny'. The find spot of the signet ring was indicated by Mrs. Olsen, to be at TQ 72225453 (AM Survey prepared). Old Hall is a well-preserved half-timbered stone house, which retains original timberwork in exterior and partition walls, floors and roofs. There is a fine, original central group of chimneys in brick, and the kitchen and dining room retain original wide fireplaces. Most windows and doors are modern or late restorations. The NE part of the house is of brick in Queen Anne style. The underground chamber is of stone with a vaulted roof of narrow brick. It is orientated NE-SW and is 12.0m. east of the south end of the house. Passages run from the north end towards the house and from the south end towards the main road. Both have been cleared for only a couple of yards. Passages and chamber were viewed through openings in the ground, and their measurements cannot be given. From photographs taken by Mr. Olsen, the chamber appears to be about 2.5m. wide and as high at the centre, and up to 6.0m. long. One entrance has a four centred arch to it in ? stone. Within the house is a 'listening tube' which runs from the wall of a bedroom closet down into the flue of the wide fireplace of the dining room diagonally beneath. Mrs. Olsen believes it to be of great age. GPs AO/59/19/1 from NE; 19/2 from SW. The signet ring is in the Maidstone Mus' (3) Checked and correct. (4)
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TONBRIDGE ROAD TQ 75 SW BARMING (North Side) 2/18 The Old Hall, and wall enclosing garden to east II
House, once vicarage, formerly farmhouse, now house. Late C16 or early C17, with additions and alterations of C17, C18, early C19 and C20. Timber framed, clad with roughly-coursed ragstone rubble with red brick quoins. Part of east elevation, to north of stack, chequered red and grey brick. Plain tile roof. 3 timber-framed bays and stack bay; west end bay of the three since truncated. Mid C17 wing of one timber-framed bay and stack bay, running south from east end bay of main range. C18 facade to east gable end of main range, continuing into C18 addition, since largely destroyed, to north of east end bay. 2 storeys, attic and cellar on stone plinth. East elevation: chamfered brick plat band under and to right (north) of stack, continuing to north along C18 addition, of which only the east ground floor wall survives. Roof gabled to south end, hipped with gablet to north end, hip returning to west along main range. Roof of main range half-hipped to west. Filleted multiple brick stack in east slope of roof towards centre, to junction of main range and mid-C17 wing. Ridge stack towards west end of main range. Hipped dormer. Irregular fenestration of five windows; one early C20 three-light latticed casement with segmental head to C17 wing, and even fenestration to brick section of 3 blocked sashes, including one under stack, and one 12-light sash. Three 12-pane sashes to ground floor of this section, all, as first floor, with beaded brick architraves and splayed rubbed brick voussoirs. Two blind windows to surviving wall to north. Half- glazed door under stack. Narrow early C20 stone addition to south side of main range. Interior: jowled principal posts. Chamfered beams. Chamfered stone fire- places. Clasped purlin roof to main range, with diminishing principal rafters, windbraces, and curved queen-struts to rafters. Aligned butt purlin roof to C17 wing. North-east addition said to have been destroyed by fire in 1820. Formerly known as Hall Farm Place. Garden wall: C18. Chequered red and grey brick on stone plinth. About 10' high. Runs east for about 160' from north-east end of house, returning south to enclose garden.
Listing NGR: TQ7219754580 (12)

<1> OS 6" 1931-1947 (OS Card Reference). SKE48327.

<2> Arch Cant 66 1953 154 3(5) (LAR Grove) (OS Card Reference). SKE35416.

<3> Oral Mrs Olsen Owners Wife Old Hall East Barming Maidstone 27.5.59 (OS Card Reference). SKE47976.

<4> F1 ASP 28.05.59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42324.

<6> Oral LRA Groves (Curator) Maidstone Mus Kent (OS Card Reference). SKE47943.

<8> F4 CFW 14.02.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43404.

<9> DOE(HHR) District of Maidstone Kent 26.2.87 9 (OS Card Reference). SKE41150.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 75 SW 26 - May, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4015.

<11> Field report for monument TQ 75 SW 26 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4016.

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

Sources and further reading