History.

We are unsure of the early history of the house, however we have approximate build dates of 1520’s to 1580’s. This is a period of change in house building when open fires letting smoke out through the roof were changed to fireplaces and chimneys. This fundamental change allowed extra floors to be added inside the house, and may account for the long build period.
The house is said to have been built as a hunting lodge for the Archbishops Palace, by the river in Maidstone. A map of the 1600’s shows St Peters church on this side of the Medway and a single house with a walled garden, we assume it is this house. The church is still there (now a nursery) but the road does not now connect us directly. The bridge has also been replaced which may account for the road change.

Most of the decoration in the house is Georgian (Late 1700’s to early 1800’s). It is thought that the house was updated at this time with the gables and bay windows on the front along with the strawberry gothic windows.
We have full history from the 1840’s, initially it was owned by the Spencer family, and used as a school in the 1860’s. The house was inherited by Philadelphia Spencer on her father’s death in 1876, and was used by her and her daughter in the 1883 census along with a cook and maid. Philadelphia died in1890 and the house was bought by Sir Walter Fremlin in 1892, though it is thought that he did not live here but let the property out. 

At this time the garden was leased from the Maidstone Sanitary Corporation and contained the water supply for Maidstone with a pipeline supply to standpipes in the High Street.

In 1937 the house was sold to the Warren family, with conveyance from M.G. Good widower for £1750. During this period a doctor’s surgery was in use, with medicine storage in the cellar. Two generations of the Warren family owned the house up to the late 1970’s.

The house changed hands several times between 1978 and 1986 when it was bought by the present owners, Andy and Ros Probyn.