Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1687 to 1890. A moated Manor House (demolished 1707). Country House built on this site, No traces of the earlier house or moat survive.

Monument Types

• MANOR HOUSE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1707 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1707 AD)
• MANOR HOUSE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1687 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 65 SE 18 :
[TQ 68435370] The mansion of Wateringbury Place, a very ancient building, moated around, was pulled down in 1707 and the present house erected more to the west. The manor of which Wateringbury Place is the seat occurs regularly from Domesday to the present day.(1) Wateringbury Place is a beautiful specimen of Queen Anne architecture, of red brick embellished with stone. In 1851 a domestic wing and bell-tower were added. An earlier house was demolished in 1707 and the shape of the foundations can be traced in the grass, c 200 yards east of the present house.(2) Description, Authy. 2 correct. The structure is of three storeys. The principal front faces east. A small modrn addition has been made to the west front. There are no remains of the pre-1707 house to be seen nor of its moat, though a stream runs through the gardens of Wateringbury Place through a series of ponds large and small, one or more of which may have been constructed out of parts of the moat. The stream is 150.0m east of the house. GP/AO/59/55/2 from South-East. (3) Checked and correct. (4) 2/84 Wateringbury Place 1.8.52 II* Large sober Baroque house of the Buckingham House - type built circa 1707 for Sir Thomas Style. Red brick with red dressings on stone plinth, slate roofs hidden by parapet. 3 storeys. 7 bay east front, originally entrance now garden facade with 3 bay central projection. 6 bay west front with central projection, now entrance front. 5 bay south return front. Rendered plat band and rendered band below parapet. Attic above moulded cornice, parapet above with sunk panels. Glazing bar sash windows throughout. East front: Ionic pilaster quoins with volute brackets in frieze of entablature, grouped in threes. Render in sunk panels below 1st floor windows. Central ground-floor doorway. Panelled and glazed door with over light in surround of panelled pilasters with volute brackets to flat modillioned hood. South front Recessed panels between windows on 1st and 2nd floors, also below each window on 1st floor. Rendered niche either side of central ground-floor window. West front: 1st floor windows in recess arched, with keystones and panels over. Single storey modern 2 window porch in recess with shallow arched windows. Service wing: C.1870. 2 storeys. 3 bays to east, red brick with stone dressings and quoins. Plat bands between ground and 1st floors. Bracketed eaves cornice to slate hipped roof. Doorway inset to right of block with bracketed flat hood. 4-bay, 2 storey wing to right with town and projecting balustraded 7-storey wing in front. The latter with pediment-gabled east end and Venetian window below. Clock tower with cornice pyramidal roof and fish-scale tiling. Finial with weather-vane. Clock by Henessy of Swansea c.1870; bell dates from c.1782. This wing 7 bays and 2 storeys to west, with 2 bay near centre projection. Interior: Little remains of original decoration scheme. Entrance Hall: Black and white marble panelling, c.1870(?). 2-flight open-well stair mounting clockwise at west end of hall. 3 salamonic balusters per tread. Large Drawing Room: C18 moulded cornice, probably of similar date to mid C18 chimney piece. Old floral wallpaper, perhaps c.1800. Small drawing room: Cornice and fireplace matching. Large drawing room. Dinning Room: Screen colonnade of composite marble columns, c.1870 (?). C19 volute-bracketed cornice and 2-storey caryatid fireplace. Upstairs’ saloon: C1800 wallpaper showing antique scenes. Late C18 chimney-piece. Small lounge: Late C18 chimney piece. Library: Modillion cornice and mid C18 chimney-piece. See Igglesden, Vol XXII; Invicta, Vol I, pp 262-268; Hasted, Vol V, pp 106-118.
2/85 Terrace Balustrades to south of Wateringbury Place II
Balustrade around terrace on east and south of house. C18. Further balustrade to south in garden with symmetrically-placed 2-flight staircases in centre. Stone. Italian balusters throughout.
2/79 The Garage at Wateringbury Place GV II
Satbles of Wateringbury Place now garages. Late C18 or Early C19. Red brick with blue headers. Shallow pitched hipped slate roof. 2 storeys, 3 window facade with central entrance. Pedimented entrance bay with circular window in attic. Central clock tower surrounded by cupola and iron weather-vane. Modern segment-headed sash windows. Door with overlight and Ionic columned surround, all modren.
2/78 Outbuilding to north east of the garage at Wateringbury Place 25.9.78 GV II
Late C18-early C19. Red brick with grey headers. Hipped slate roof with off-centre pediment-gable and Louvred lantern. 1-storey. Double-doored entrance under pediment with one modern casement to each side. East elevation towards Canon lane, has a base of Kentish ragstone and forms part of attached curved brick wall, also on stone base, framing entrance.
2/81 Conservatory at Wateringbury Place II
Conservatory. Late C18 or early C19. Painted timber. 1 storey, 6 window front. Very large glazing bar sash windows opening to ground level with acanthus frieze above. Panelled dome in 2 bay west end.
2/86 West wall and gates to Wateringbury Place II
West wall and gates. C18. Tall coursed rubble stone wall with pock-marked coping. 3 gate-piers with cornice and low pyramid above. Wrought-iron gates not original, probably late C19.
2/80 Outbuilding to south-east of the garage at Wateringbury Place 25.9.78 GV II
Late C18-early C19. Red brick with grey headers. Hipped slate roof with off-centre pediment-gable and Louvred lantern. 1-storey. Open verandah to right of facade. Double-doored entrance under pediment with 1 modern casement to each side. East elevation, towards Canon Lane, has a base of Kentish ragstone and forms part of attached covered brick wall, also on stone base, framing entrance.
2/83 Gate-piers at entrance to Wateringbury Place Service Yard II
Gate Piers. Pairs of C18. Stone. Rusticated pier with cornice and coping above. (5)
Wateringbury Place. Full architectural description.
Not mentioned in the County checklist of medieval moated sites in Kent - Dec 1979.

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 65 SE WATERINGBURY CANON LANE (east side)
2/84 Wateringbury Place 1.8.52
- II*
Large sober Baroque house of the Buckingham House - type built circa 1707 for Sir Thomas Style. Red brick with red dressings on stone plinth, slate roofs hidden by parapet. 3 storeys. 7 bay east front, originally entrance now garden facade with 3 bay central projection. 6 bay west front with cen- tral projection, now entrance front. 5 bay south return front. Rendered plat band and rendered band below parapet. Attic above moulded cornice, para- pet above with sunk panels. Glazing bar sash windows throughout. East front: Ionic pilaster quoins with volute brackets in frieze of entablature, grouped in threes. Render in sunk panels below 1st floor windows. Central ground- floor doorway. Panelled and glazed door with over light in surround of panelled pilasters with volute brackets to flat modillioned hood. South front Recessed panels between windows on 1st and 2nd floors, also below each window on 1st floor. Rendered niche either side of central ground-floor window. West front: 1st floor windows in recess arched, with keystones and panels over. Single storey modern 2 window porch in recess with shallow arched windows. Service wing: C.1870. 2 storeys. 3 bays to east, red brick with stone dressings and quoins. Plat bands between ground and 1st floors. Bracketed eaves cornice to slate hipped roof. Doorway inset to right of block with bracketed flat hood. 4-bay, 2 storey wing to right with town and pro- jecting balustraded 7-storey wing in front. The latter with pediment-gabled east end and Venetian window below. Clock tower with cornice pyramidal roof and fish-scale tiling. Finial with weather-vane. Clock by Henessy of Swansea c.1870; bell dates from c.1782. This wing 7 bays and 2 storeys to west, with 2 bay near centre projection. Interior: Little remains of original decoration scheme. Entrance Hall: Black and white marble panelling, c.1870(?). 2-flight open-well stair mounting clockwise at west end of hall. 3 salamonic balusters per tread. Large Drawing Room: C18 moulded cornice, probably of similar date to mid C18 chimney piece. Old floral wallpaper, perhaps c.1800. Small drawing room: Cornice and fireplace matching. Large drawing room. Dining Room: Screen colonnade of composite marble columns, c.1870(?). C19 volute- bracketed cornice and 2-storey caryatid fireplace. Upstair's saloon: C.1800 wallpaper showing antique scenes. Late C18 chimney-piece. Small lounge: Late C18 chimney piece. Library: Modillion cornice and mid C18 chimney-piece. See Igglesden, Vol XXII; Invicta, Vol I, pp 262-268; Hasted, Vol V, pp 106- 18. Listing NGR: TQ6833653743 (10)

<1> Hist of Kent 1798 108 ff (Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE43941.

<2> Saunter thro' Kent with Pen & Pencil 22 1930 73 ff (C Igglesden) (OS Card Reference). SKE49406.

<3> F1 ASP 05-MAR-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE41947.

<4> F2 CFW 12-FEB-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43226.

<5> DOE (HHR) Boro of Tonbridge & Malling Kent April 1985 59-61 (OS Card Reference). SKE39900.

<6> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 593 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37923.

<7> Moated Sites Res Gp 6 1979 (ed CJ Bond) (OS Card Reference). SKE47248.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 65 SE 18 - March, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3429.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 65 SE 18 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3430.

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

Sources and further reading