Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Great Maytham Hall has early-20th-century formal gardens and woodland of three hectares. This is set within a larger estate of park, wood and agricultural use covering 41 hectares. It is now in divided use and ownership.

Brief history of site

The first recorded house was built on the site after 1714. The house and park were enlarged in the 19th century. Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to re-build the house and lay out the formal gardens in 1909. It is one of the few houses and gardens in Kent designed by Lutyens.Great Maytham is one of the few houses and gardens in Kent designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, and as such is of great importance in this survey. The only other Lutyens house of importance in the County is The Salutation at Sandwich. Thankfully, most of the essentials of the Lutyens garden have survived, despite the general unawareness of their origins.

Great Maytham is one of Lutyens' country houses in his neo-Georgian manner, built in 1909-1910 for H J Tennant, the brother of Margot Asquith. He incorporated part of a much earlier 18th-century manor house into the older stables and outbuildings. A fine clock tower is at the entrance gate house, and before the 1987 storm a formal avenue of limes lined the gravel drive up to the house. Only one lime tree was standing by the summer of 1988 and the owners were undecided as to any replacements. To the front of the house is an area of some two hectares of informal woodland recently cleared of scrub and brambles.

Lutyens also created a series of formal gardens to the south-west. Here, sloping ground necessitated a giant terrace with characteristic bold and curved flight of steps leading from pergola to a pool garden, with ragstone paths, fine wrought iron gates, brick and tile gazebos and more steps. These areas have been recently improved with more intensive planting of the herbaceous borders, and the current management is keen to improve other areas of planting within the gardens.

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

An early 20th-century formal garden designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, incorporating built elements of an early 18th-century garden and set within a largely 19th-century park, part of which has 18th-century origins.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Great Maytham lies adjacent to the east side of the main Ashford to Hastings Road (A28), on the south side of the village of Rolvenden. The 44 hectare registered site, which comprises 3 hectares of formal and ornamental gardens set within 41 hectares of parkland and woodland, occupies level ground in the centre which rises in gentle undulations to the north-east and falls away to the south-west and south-east. The boundaries to the east and west, largely enclosed by hedges and internal tree fringes, are formed by the A28 and a minor lane, Maytham Road. To the south the boundary follows the course of a park boundary bank lined largely with coppiced hornbeam; on its south side is a public footpath. Beyond the site to the west, south, and east is a gently undulating landscape of small fields, hedgerows, and woodland while to the north the site is bounded by the housing and church of Rolvenden village.

The Moneypenny family owned Great Maytham from 1721-1900 but there were financial problems in the late-1800s. Additions, a fire and other problems disfigured the house. During a period of lets, one of the tenants was Frances Hodgson Burnett who took the house from 1898-1907. He was inspired to write ‘The Secret Garden' from the walled garden of the old Georgian house that existed then. Lutyens incorporated this into his new garden design, and the bricked-in doorway is eagerly hunted today by schoolchildren. The Tennant family lived in style at Great Maytham from 1909-1938, 13 gardeners being employed with a huge new kitchen garden, laundry, dairy, carpenters shop and an estate of around 530 hectares.

The whole estate and house contents were dispersed at the sale in 1936. Army occupation in 1939-45 followed by various unsatisfactory ownerships led to a deterioration and neglect of house and gardens. The site was rescued from a threat of demolition by the Country Houses Association in 1961. Conversion and restoration work took four years. There are now 30 residents, some of whom actively assist in the maintenance of the garden.

Forty-seven trees of significant size were lost in the 1987 storm. These included oaks, Scots pine, horse chestnuts, silver birch, cherries and crab apples as well as the lime avenue.

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

An estate existed at Maytham in the Saxon period and a manor and its owners were referred to in Domesday Book. Owned by two de Maytham sisters in the 14th century and by the Carew family in the early 16th century, it became Crown property in 1539. Granted first to Thomas Cromwell and then to Sir Thomas Wyatt, it passed by marriage to the Colpeppers of Bedgebury who owned it until 1714 although it was never their principal residence. It was sold in that year to Captain James Monypenny who began building the first recorded house on the site. The property remained in the hands of various members of the Monypenny family, who enlarged the house and the park in the 19th century, until the death of Lt-Col Robert Thomas Gybbon-Monypenny in 1893. Various owners and tenants including, from 1898 until 1907, the authoress Frances Hodgson Burnett, occupied Great Maytham until 1909 when the then owner, Mr Powell-Edwards, sold it to the Rt Hon H J Tennant who engaged Sir Edwin Lutyens to rebuild the house and lay out the formal gardens. When the Maytham estate was sold again in 1936 the tenanted farmland surrounding the house and park was sold off separately. A succession of owners followed, the house being used by the National Institute for the Blind and by the army before falling into a state of neglect. In 1961 most of the parkland was divided and sold, the house, gardens, and part of the eastern parkland being purchased by the Country Houses Association (formerly the Mutual Households Association) who restored the property and converted it to residential retirement apartments. The house and gardens remain (1997) in charitable ownership with the majority of the parkland in divided private ownership.

Site timeline

1936: The whole estate and house contents are dispersed at the sale in 1936.

1939 to 1945: Army occupation.

1961: The site is rescued from a threat of demolition by the Country Houses Association in 1961.

1987: 47 trees of significant size are lost in the storm.

Monument Types

• LANDSCAPE PARK (Post Medieval to Modern - 1540 AD to 1960 AD)

Full description

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Great Maytham Hall has early-20th-century formal gardens and woodland of three hectares. This is set within a larger estate of park, wood and agricultural use covering 41 hectares. It is now in divided use and ownership.

Brief history of site
The first recorded house was built on the site after 1714. The house and park were enlarged in the 19th century. Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to re-build the house and lay out the formal gardens in 1909. It is one of the few houses and gardens in Kent designed by Lutyens.Great Maytham is one of the few houses and gardens in Kent designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, and as such is of great importance in this survey. The only other Lutyens house of importance in the County is The Salutation at Sandwich. Thankfully, most of the essentials of the Lutyens garden have survived, despite the general unawareness of their origins.

Great Maytham is one of Lutyens' country houses in his neo-Georgian manner, built in 1909-1910 for H J Tennant, the brother of Margot Asquith. He incorporated part of a much earlier 18th-century manor house into the older stables and outbuildings. A fine clock tower is at the entrance gate house, and before the 1987 storm a formal avenue of limes lined the gravel drive up to the house. Only one lime tree was standing by the summer of 1988 and the owners were undecided as to any replacements. To the front of the house is an area of some two hectares of informal woodland recently cleared of scrub and brambles.

Lutyens also created a series of formal gardens to the south-west. Here, sloping ground necessitated a giant terrace with characteristic bold and curved flight of steps leading from pergola to a pool garden, with ragstone paths, fine wrought iron gates, brick and tile gazebos and more steps. These areas have been recently improved with more intensive planting of the herbaceous borders, and the current management is keen to improve other areas of planting within the gardens.

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

An early 20th-century formal garden designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, incorporating built elements of an early 18th-century garden and set within a largely 19th-century park, part of which has 18th-century origins.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Great Maytham lies adjacent to the east side of the main Ashford to Hastings Road (A28), on the south side of the village of Rolvenden. The 44 hectare registered site, which comprises 3 hectares of formal and ornamental gardens set within 41 hectares of parkland and woodland, occupies level ground in the centre which rises in gentle undulations to the north-east and falls away to the south-west and south-east. The boundaries to the east and west, largely enclosed by hedges and internal tree fringes, are formed by the A28 and a minor lane, Maytham Road. To the south the boundary follows the course of a park boundary bank lined largely with coppiced hornbeam; on its south side is a public footpath. Beyond the site to the west, south, and east is a gently undulating landscape of small fields, hedgerows, and woodland while to the north the site is bounded by the housing and church of Rolvenden village.

The Moneypenny family owned Great Maytham from 1721-1900 but there were financial problems in the late-1800s. Additions, a fire and other problems disfigured the house. During a period of lets, one of the tenants was Frances Hodgson Burnett who took the house from 1898-1907. He was inspired to write ‘The Secret Garden' from the walled garden of the old Georgian house that existed then. Lutyens incorporated this into his new garden design, and the bricked-in doorway is eagerly hunted today by schoolchildren. The Tennant family lived in style at Great Maytham from 1909-1938, 13 gardeners being employed with a huge new kitchen garden, laundry, dairy, carpenters shop and an estate of around 530 hectares.

The whole estate and house contents were dispersed at the sale in 1936. Army occupation in 1939-45 followed by various unsatisfactory ownerships led to a deterioration and neglect of house and gardens. The site was rescued from a threat of demolition by the Country Houses Association in 1961. Conversion and restoration work took four years. There are now 30 residents, some of whom actively assist in the maintenance of the garden.

Forty-seven trees of significant size were lost in the 1987 storm. These included oaks, Scots pine, horse chestnuts, silver birch, cherries and crab apples as well as the lime avenue.

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

An estate existed at Maytham in the Saxon period and a manor and its owners were referred to in Domesday Book. Owned by two de Maytham sisters in the 14th century and by the Carew family in the early 16th century, it became Crown property in 1539. Granted first to Thomas Cromwell and then to Sir Thomas Wyatt, it passed by marriage to the Colpeppers of Bedgebury who owned it until 1714 although it was never their principal residence. It was sold in that year to Captain James Monypenny who began building the first recorded house on the site. The property remained in the hands of various members of the Monypenny family, who enlarged the house and the park in the 19th century, until the death of Lt-Col Robert Thomas Gybbon-Monypenny in 1893. Various owners and tenants including, from 1898 until 1907, the authoress Frances Hodgson Burnett, occupied Great Maytham until 1909 when the then owner, Mr Powell-Edwards, sold it to the Rt Hon H J Tennant who engaged Sir Edwin Lutyens to rebuild the house and lay out the formal gardens. When the Maytham estate was sold again in 1936 the tenanted farmland surrounding the house and park was sold off separately. A succession of owners followed, the house being used by the National Institute for the Blind and by the army before falling into a state of neglect. In 1961 most of the parkland was divided and sold, the house, gardens, and part of the eastern parkland being purchased by the Country Houses Association (formerly the Mutual Households Association) who restored the property and converted it to residential retirement apartments. The house and gardens remain (1997) in charitable ownership with the majority of the parkland in divided private ownership.


Site timeline
1936: The whole estate and house contents are dispersed at the sale in 1936.

1939 to 1945: Army occupation.

1961: The site is rescued from a threat of demolition by the Country Houses Association in 1961.

1987: 47 trees of significant size are lost in the storm.


A building and landscape assessment in 2007 concluded that the more modern buildings were of relatively poor quality and generally detrimental to the overall character of the complex. (2)

<1> Parks and Gardens Data Services Limited (PGDS), 2005, Parks and Gardens UK (www.parksandgardens.org) (Website). SKE16061.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2007, Great Maytham Hall, Rolvenden, Kent: Landscape and Building Study (Unpublished document). SKE17044.

Sources and further reading