Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1400 to 1999. Retreat chapel, formerly Abbey Farm 16/17th c (partly destroyed 20th c). A fine Medieval barn with timbered roof stands near the centre of the southern extremity of the Abbey property.

Monument Types

• BARN (Medieval to Modern - 1400 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 65 NE 53 :
[TQ 68125751] Abbey Barn [NR] (1) A fine medieval barn with timbered roof stands near the centre of the southern extremity of the Abbey property. (2) The western part of the barn has been burnt down in recent years. The eastern half contains a fine queen-post roof of 16th c. or early 17th c. date. The timbers are in excellent condition. The old doorways have been blocked up, sets of modern lights have been inserted beneath dormers and the barn has been consecrated as a Retreat Chapel. The new west wall is built of the old materials. GP AO/59/58/1 Barn from the north. (3) Malling Abbey, West tower and Site of Abbey Curch, West Malling, scheduled no. 84. The barn is filled up as a Chapel for guests, and is in use for worship. (4) Not mentioned in The Buildings of England. (5) Listed Grade II*. (6)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
WEST MALLING
TQ6857 WATER LANE 1156-0/3/168 Ewell Monastery The Abbey Tithe Barn
GV II*
Former tithe barn, now chapel. C15 altered C20. Exterior stone with tiled roof and C20 windows. On the south-west wall are 5 buttresses and a triangular tiled hood above 5 narrow windows built into the original door opening towards the south-east. On the north-west, where the building has been truncated, the lower part of the wall is of stone and the roof comes down to single storey eaves level to the north-east with a row of 7 narrow windows beneath a gable with tile-hanging above the stone. South-west of this is a much smaller adjacent gable end which is cement rendered above the stone. On the north-east the whole facade is of stone with an entrance door to the north-west and brick cloister arches masking it to the south-east, above which is a stone-faced gabled roof projection containing 4 narrow windows. The south-east facade is also of stone above which the roof is hipped with larger and smaller hips corresponding to the gables on the north-west. To the south-west is a buttress surmounted by a bell. Centrally a large porch with tiled lean-to roof and entrance from the south-west. North-east of this a brick projection which joins the C20 cloister which is not of special interest. Internally the barn is of 4 bays, aisled on both sides with passing braces, upright posts with jowls, queenposts and angled open struts, purlins and no ridgepiece except to one end bay. Formerly the tithe barn to St Mary's Abbey, this building is at present in separate occupation.
Listing NGR: TQ6813257518 (8)

<1> OS 6" 1936 (OS Card Reference). SKE48337.

<2> Arch J 88 1932 181 (F H Fairweather) (OS Card Reference). SKE36757.

<3> F1 ASP 12-JUN-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42072.

<4> DOE (IAM) Record Form Kent 3 11 1986 (OS Card Reference). SKE40756.

<5> The Buildings of England West Kent and the Weald 1980 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE50223.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 65 NE 53 - June, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3330.

<7> DNH List 30-Nov-1993 (OS Card Reference). SKE39780.

<8> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading

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