Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Elizabethan house, with 17th century additions and 19th century reconstructions, now the Maidstone Municipal Museum and Art Gallery. The timber-framed building to the east of the north wing was the south wing of Court Lodge, East Farleigh, which was re-erected here in 1874. The core is an early Elizabethan house built by Nicholas Barham who bought the manor in 1561. Heavily restored in 1875 it has later additions.

Summary from record TQ 75 NE 708:

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1561 to 1974

Monument Types

• TIMBER FRAMED BUILDING (Unknown date)
• HOUSE (HOUSE, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• HOUSE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1561 AD to 2050 AD)
• CHAPEL (Built, Post Medieval - 1873 AD to 1875 AD (at some time))

Full description

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[TQ 7591 5600] Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery and remains of Chillington House (NR) (1) Chillington House, Maidstone - Elizabethan, with 17th c. additions and 19th c. reconstructions, now the Maidstone Municipal Museum and Art Gallery. The timber-framed building to the east of the north wing was the south wing of Court Lodge, East Farleigh, which was re-erected here in 1874. (2) Description correct. Building is in good condition. GP/AO/64/110/5 (S. wing of Court Lodge, East Farleigh - not in situ); 64/118/6 (main front). (3) Chillington House (The Maidstone Municipal Museum and Art Gallery) Grade II* The core is an early Elizabethan house built by Nicholas Barham who bought the manor in 1561. Heavily restored in 1875 it has later additions. (4) Additional bibliography. (5-6-7)

Description from record TQ 75 NE 708:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
FAITH STREET 1. 5278 (North Side) Chillington House (The Maidstone Municipal Museum and Art Gallery) TQ 7555 NE 1/107 TQ 7556 SE 4/107 30.7.51. II*
2. The core is an early Elizabethan house built by Nicholas Barham who bought the manor in 1561. Heavily restored in 1875 it has later additions. The front facing Faith Street is E-shaped. Red brick. Each of the 3 projecting wings has 3 storeys, one window and a gable with kneelers, the apex of the gable being surmounted by stone animal figures and the kneelers by twisted finials ending in ball caps. These figures and finials were added in the C19. Between these projections is one window bay of 2 storeys. Stone cornice above each floor. Windows of 3 tiers of 4 lights with wooden mullions and transoms and diamond leaded panes. Giving entrance to the forecourt from Faith Street are C19 stone gate piers surmounted by figures of lions sedant. The back of the part of the building facing Brenchley Gardens has been added in the late C17. It has 2 storeys and an attic. 7 windows and 5 dormers with pediments. Red brick. Tiled roof and wooden modillion eaves cornice. Recessed panels between the ground and 1st floor windows. Casement windows with small square leaded panes. 1-sash windows with glazing bars intact. The north wing is timber-framed but restored and was formerly weatherboarded. On its east front it has 3 gables, the 2 southernmost ones of stone rubble on the ground-floor and red brick above, the northernmost one of studded timber framing on a base of stone rubble. On the west front this wing is of red brick on the ground floor and studded above, the 1st floor overhanging on a moulded bressumer. 2 storeys. Porch in the centre of the front with its 1st floor jettied and a gable over. Continuous gallery windows which are a modern reconstruction of the original. Modern extension at the north end of the wing. Also modern extensions to the east and west of the main building replacing older structures. The timber framed building to the east of the north wing was the south wing of Court Lodge East Farleigh, which was re-erected here in 1874. The interior contains a fine Elizabethan Great Hall with Cl6 panelling and its original screen which has a frieze pierced with a lattice of quatrefoils. Fine C16 fireplaces and cloisters dating from the reign of Henry VII or Henry VIII. The interior of the south wing of the Court Lodge East Farleigh has a crown post roof. Listing NGR: TQ7591255993 (10)

A chapel was built to the designs of Herbert Bensted north of the Museum between 1873 and 1875. (9)

<1> OS 1:1250 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48175.

<2> MHLG 1368/11/A Maidstone MB Nov 1949 14 (OS Card Reference). SKE47073.

<3> F1 ASP 25.02.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42271.

<4> DOE (HHR) Dist of Maidstone Area Kent 2.8.74 31 (OS Card Reference). SKE40283.

<5> Bldgs of Eng West Kent & the Weald 1980 402 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38035.

<6> Arch Cant 74 1960 194 (L R A Grove) (OS Card Reference). SKE35562.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 75 NE 38 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3809.

<7> Lawson-Price Environmental, 1994, Desk based assessment of land around the Fremlins Brewery for Whitbread Development Ltd (Unpublished document). SKE6889.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 75 NE 38 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3809.

<9> Compass Archaeology, 2008, Maidstone Museum Conservation Statement, Gazeteer 3.09 Maidstone Museum Chapel (Unpublished document). SKE16104.

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

Sources and further reading