Description

WEST MALLING

TQ6857 LUCKS HILL
1156-0/3/114 The Hermitage
01/08/52

GV II

Large house, now subdivided. c1830 altered and extended in
late C19. Built of coursed stone rubble with dressed stone
surrounds to window and doors. Tiled roofs. The left-hand part
of the front elevation is c1830. Coursed stone rubble with
stone galleting. Crenellated parapet. Hipped tiled roof with 2
later C19 brick chimneystacks. 2 storeys 5 windows. Late C19
mullioned and transomed casements with hood moulding. Stone
band to parapet. Plinth. Attached to the right-hand side is a
3-storey tower, crenellated with moulded stone bands between
floors. 2nd floor has double trefoliated mullioned windows
with shield with 5 lozenges and 3 greyhounds underneath. 1st
floor has large 3-light mullioned and transomed window with
quatrefoils to top trefoil heads below and stained glass
shield. Ground floor has round-headed arcading and stone
pointed arch with hood moulding concealed by large square
wooden porch with canted canopy on elaborate wooden brackets.
Chamfered pilasters with stops, crenellated to top. Plinth. 4
steps flanked by wall with 6 ball finials. Recesses late C19
section set back to right. Parallel range to rear with 3 C19
mullioned and transomed casements and C20 porch. Return front
to right-hand side of front elevation is late C19 with 2
clustered brick chimneystacks. 3 gables with
pseudo-machicolations. 3 triple mullioned and transomed
windows with hood mouldings to first floor. Ground floor has 1
similar window to right. Central large 5 canted bay with
armorial glass in upper panes and left side doorcase with
double door. To the extreme right is a stone gable with blank
shield, kneelers and blocked window with hood moulding. Rear
elevation has gable with large 5-light bay and similar bay to
left with 1 cambered window with hood moulding. Ground floor
has stone arch with hood moulding flanked by lancets.
Interior has a wooden panel with the date 1635 but this is
probably introduced as there are no further signs of earlier
origins to the building. Elaborate entrance hall with late C19
coffered ceiling and splayed wooden staircase with turned
balusters and scrolled tread ends. Large entrance arch. Arched
doorcases and stone 4-centred arched fireplace. Chapel has
elaborate fire surround and roundels with cupids. Corridor is
panelled with scrolled ceiling. Dining room has coffered
ceiling and stone fireplace, built-in bookshelves and
9-panelled door. Study has late C19 stone fireplace with Tudor
rose in spandrels, and wooden panelled ceiling and walls.

Listing NGR: TQ6846557852

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26513363

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

• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability