Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Former site of a Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1600 to 1939. Demolished.

Summary from record TQ 54 NE 20 :

C17 barn, prob C18 farm building, 1930s building complex.

Monument Types

• BARN (BARN, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• FARMHOUSE (FARMHOUSE, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• SITE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1600 AD to 1939 AD)
• CAFE (CAFE, Modern - 1901 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
HILDENBOROUGH STOCKS GREEN ROAD TQ 54 NE 5/205 Old Barn Tea House
GV II*
Tea house complex, incorporating a circa early C17 barn, a probably C18 re-sited farmbuilding and a 1930s purpose-built tea room, kitchen and associated buildings. The tea house was established in 1921 by Commander A.W. Tomlinson and was developed by him in the 1920s and 1930s. it is still run by the Tomlinson family. The C17 barn is of framed construction, clad in weatherboarding with a peg-tile roof. The re-sited farmbuilding is also framed and weatherboarded with a tiled roof. The 1930s tea room and kitchen is framed, plastered to the front (north) with some brick nogging, weatherboarded to the rear with a tiled roof with brick stacks. The subsidiary 1930s buildings are also framed with tiled roofs.
Plan: A roadside complex, facing north. The tea house was begun in the C17 barn, which is on a north-south axis at the west end of the complex. It is a 5-bay structure with outshuts and full-height threshing doors in the centre of each long side. The outshuts are used for storage and an office. The east porch forms a link with the tea room also on a north south axis, adjoining on the south side. This is a large single-storey room with 5 projecting bays on each side providing alcoves for tables. At the south end a crosswing accommodated bands and orchestras. A 2-storey crosswing at the north end, fronting the road, contains the kitchen. The remodelled C18 farmbuilding adjoins at the east, adapted for slightly smaller parties and receptions. It is set back from the road behind 2 single-storey blocks.
Exterior: Long asymmetrical north elevation, set back from the road with a car park in front. the north end of the barn to the right (west) has a 1920s gabled porch to the right into the west outshut and 2 3-light 1920s casements with diamond leaded panes below the original 1920s or 1930s painted sign, hanging from a bracket. The barn roof is gabletted to the north with a small half-hip at the south end. To the left (east) is the kitchen crosswing of the tea room with a hipped roof, gabled and jettied to the front to left and right with a lateral stack to right of centre. In the centre the first floor framing has brick nogging in a herringbone pattern. Original 3-light casement windows, transomed to the ground floor, with diamond leaded panes. To the left (east) of the kitchen block a single-storey block, parallel to the road with a matching 3-light casement in the centre. At the extreme left (east) end a second single-storey block, gable end to the road with a 4-light oriel window to the right and a 1930s plank door to the left. To the rear (south) the south end of the C17 barn has a 1920s central doorway flanked by 3-light casements with diamond leaded panes with a matching 2-light casement above. The south end of the tea room has a deep hipped roof, end stacks and is gabled to the south in the centre with a 5-light window with 2 transoms and matching half-glazed doors to left and right. Some of the projecting gabled bays to the east and west sides have windows, others have stacks. The re-sited farmbuilding has a gabled porch on the east side, adapted to form a glazed bay with diamond leaded panes, and with a stack added at the south end.
Interior: The barn is still open to the roof timbers. The frame has been repaired but is still largely intact. The roof is a tie beam and crown post construction, the crown posts tall and plain with 4-way bracing with concave braces between the jowled wall posts and tie beams. The threshing doors have similar braces between the wall posts and wall plate. The roof has been augmented with pairs of straight braces rising from the base of each crown post to rafter couples. The 1930s carpentry in the tea room is complete. The re-sited farmbuilding, originating from Old Farmhouse, Philpots Lane (q.v.), has been floored above tie-beam level. Roof construction not seen at time of survey (1988) but an examination of the roof might necessitate revising the suggested dating.
Although the C17 barn is of historic interest in its own right as an early framed agricultural building, the whole complex if of outstanding interest as a uniquely well-preserved early C20 tea house designed initially to cater for a motoring public exploring rural England and seeking country-produced refreshments. To the west is the farmstead (separately listed) which provided the home-grown food served in the tea house. In the 1930s the complex was developed, including an airfield for guests in light aircraft, a swimming pool and a collection of exotic animals.
In the 1930s Commander Tomlinson established an urban tea house in Maidstone, 'Tudor House', which has been demolished (information from the owners of Old Barn).
Listing NGR: TQ5705648135

Description from record TQ 54 NE 20 :
[TQ 55924807] The Old Barn [NAT] (1) HILDENBOROUGH STOCKS GREEN ROAD Old Barn Tea House Tea house complex, incorporating a circa early C17 barn, a probably C18 re-sited farm building and a 1930s purpose built tea room, kitchen and associated buildings. [Full architectural description] LISTED GRADE II*. (2)

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

<1> OS 1:2500 1972 (OS Card Reference). SKE48214.

<2> DOE(HHR)Dist of Tonbridge and Malling Kent, 19th Feb 1990 209-210 (OS Card Reference). SKE41370.

Sources and further reading