Description

KENTCHURCH CP -
SO 42 NW
5/21 Kentchurch Court
29.9.52
GV I

Castle, now country house. Part of tower and a gateway survive of C14
structure, remainder largely rebuilt by Nash between 1795 and 1807 for the
Scudamore family; further C20 alterations. Sandstone rubble with sandstone
ashlar to central part of front, stone slate and Welsh slate roofs, mainly
hidden by crenellated parapets. Irregular plan, generally aligned north-
east/south-west with early tower at north-east angle; part of front projects
to south-east; main entrance to south-east front; various rectangular and
grouped polygonal chimneys. Irregular two and three storeys. South-east
front: salient features of the front are, to the left, a two-bay, two-storey
hipped roofed block with glazing bar sash windows; next, to the right, a
seven-bay two-storey block with similar glazing bar sash windows and with
the central three bays breaking forward slightly with a crenellated parapet
rising to the centre. The front is made assymetrical by the two-storey
porch; crenellated parapet carried over corbel table, tall Tudor arched
entrance surround with secondary arch and paired glazed doors behind. Single-
bay recessed further to the right with triple rounded arches on three floors;
projecting wing to right with three square-headed mullioned windows with
decorative glazing bars on ground floor and one similar 2-light window to
first floor. South-east end of projecting wing with Perpendicular style
oriel window to first floor and Tudor arched door surround with fanlight
and glazed double doors. North-east side: probably originally free-standing
tower projecting slightly to far right end, three stages with chimney breast
rising from second stage to right of garderobe on corbels. Very tall circa
1800 window of Gothick Perpendicular design with crenellated parapet slightly
gabled over. Block to left with two windows on first floor and doorway below,
all of similar "Perpendicular" style design. Interior: the room on the second
stage of the tower has mid-C17 panelling and a C16 fireplace with moulded
jambs and square head. The interior of the main house contains several fine
pieces of late C17 woodwork transferred from Holme Lacy and attributed to
Grinling Gibbons, including garlands with birds, fruit, vegetables and fish
etc, from the overmantels and also a section from the external pediment.
Re-set in the c1800 so-called "chapel" window (which in fact lights at
landing at the top of the first flight of stairs), is a series of Swiss
stained glass dating from 1521 and a further four roundels of C16 glass
with shields of arms. Other rooms have late C18 or early C19 fireplaces,
mahogany doors, dado rails etc. (RCHM, Vol I, p 153-154; BoE, p 200).

Listing NGR: SO4231125905

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Kentchurch Court at Wikipedia
• Kentchurch Court official website
• Wikidata Q6392017

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)