Details
TQ 65 SE
1/7
NETTLESTEAD
MAIDSTONE ROAD (east side)
Nettlestead Place
23-5-67
GV
I
Country house. Used as oast house from C18 until c.1921. Now house. Circa 1250-1260, circa 1438 or slightly earlier, and circa 1589, with restoration and additions of 1921-1922 by Morley Horder.
Roughly coursed galleted ragstone to ground floor of main range and lower section of first floor, more random and less galleted ragstone to rest of first floor. Roughly coursed comparatively rubbly ragstone to C15 right (east) addition. Small blocks of roughly-coursed ragstone to 1920 section. Plain tile roofs.
Ground floor of main range comprises mid C13 undercroft of four double bays, with low doorway at north end of east gable end. First floor of main range rebuilt or extensively modified c.1438, and possibly divided into two rooms. Shorter, narrower two storey section built or rebuilt at east end, its south elevation aligned with that of main range, its north elevation, or the west end of it, probably abutting a non-extant turret or wing running north from the angle with the main range. A 1922 stair turret now occupies this position.1922 additions comprise a two storey addition to the east end of the narrow C15 section, (set back from south elevation), a wing running north from it, and a passage and two storey porch along north elevation of main range.
South elevation: two storeys. High hollow-chamfered plinth to main range only. Eaves of C15 addition same height as main range, ridge formerly lower, but made continuous with main range in 1922. Stone-coped gable to each end of whole range. 1920s red and grey brick stack with two diagonally-set flues to rear of west end of main range, and another, projecting, with three flues, to east gable end of C15 addition. Irregular first floor fenestration of five tall C15 two-light windows with cinquefoil-headed lights and moulded architraves, mullions and hoodmoulds; one with squared head towards west end of main range, two with cambered heads adjacent to each other to east end of main range, another with cambered head to west end of C15 addition, and one with squared head to east end of addition. Three small plain-chamfered rectangular windows to undercroft. Narrow uncusped three-centred-arched single light with moulded architrave and squared moulded hoodmould towards west end of C15 addition on ground floor. Further window similar to, and virtually underneath first floor window towards east end. Four-centred-arched hollow-chamfered doorway with broach stops, moulded outer architrave, squared moulded hoodmould, and shields dated "Ad 1589" to spandrels, to west end of C15 addition. Three rectangular two storey projections, probably garderobes of late C16 or earlier, but that to the addition probably of a slightly different date from the other two; one towards centre and one to east end of main range, and one towards centre of C15 addition. All formerly had lean-to roofs, but now have plain stone- coped parapets. Two to main range have stonework similar to that of main wall, and continuous hollow-chamfered plinths. Projection to C15 addition has similar stonework to the addition, a low hollow-chamfered plinth, long irregular quoins, and an off-set between ground and first floors. None appears to have a drainage arch. Each has a small moulded stone window towards top, that to centre of main range oval, the other two circular. Projection to east end of main range also has a rectangular slit light towards top of east return. Two buttresses towards west end of main range, one with hollow-chamfered plinth. Battered buttress to south-east corner.
West gable end rebuilt in 1922. 1922 addition: two storeys, with lower eaves and ridge than C15 section. Roof gabled to east. Two small gabled dormers. Two leaded first floor windows, one single-light and one four-light. Long east return elevation has a gabled bay towards each end, two stacks, and mullioned windows.
North west courtyard elevation has gabled bay, stair-turret and two-storey porch, small gabled dormers stone mullioned windows, and moulded four-centred-arched stone doorway.
Interior: quadripartite vaulting to undercroft, with plain-chamfered ribs springing from low central columns with moulded capitals and bases, and from moulded wall corbels. Stone flag floor. Rectangular windows to north side, now giving on to 1922 corridor. Broad pointed-arched hollow-chamfered stone north doorway with broach stops, probably a 1922 insertion, in second bay from west, opposite 1922 porch. Low late C13 doorway towards north end of east gable end, with cambered rere-arch to undercroft side, and pointed hollow-chamfered archway with broach stops to present staircase - hall side. Doorway, probably C15, with more rounded rere-arch to undercroft, towards south end of same wall, giving access to C15 ground floor room, which has three broad cross beams to ceiling, equally broad, tenoned axial beams, and broad close-set joists, all with flush surfaces. Splayed and chamfered architrave to south-east window. C15 doorway at west end of north wall has cambered chamfered rere-arch to room, moulded pointed arch and hoodmould to present staircase-hall side, and ribbed door. Similar doorway immediately above it in same wall on first floor.
First floor level of C15 addition is several steps lower than that of main range. Cavetto-moulded inner architraves to all first-floor windows except south-west, and shutter rebates to all. 1922 staircase hall separated from corridor on north side by pair of C20 pointed-arched doubly hollow-chamfered doorways with broach stops, aligned with north wall of undercroft. Immediately east of them, open-well staircase with turned balusters and newels rising to north. Two doubly hollow-chamfered C20 segmental stone arches dying into walls, span hall at foot of stairs. Roof not inspected.
(Pre-1922 exterior photographs in National Monuments Record).
Listing NGR: TQ6854552056
