The Dower House, Bayham Abbey

Details

TQ 63 NW
8/354

FRANT
BAYHAM ROAD
The Dower House, Bayham Abbey

(Formerly listed as Bayham Old Abbey, previously listed as Bayhold Old Abbey)

18.3.77

GV
II*
Part ticket office, part living accommodation, formerly a dower house to the Camden estate. Built in three phases with medieval possibly monastic core. South wing early C18 with reused medieval masonry from Bayham Abbey. North wing built by John Pratt, Viscount Bayham, before 1752 when Horace Walpole saw it, and a most important and early example of mid C18 Gothic revival, predating Sanderson Miller's Laycock Abbey and overlapping with Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill with medieval fragments to either. Between 1799 and 1814 the south wing which had become a service wing to the Gothic villa, was refaced on the east possibly to a design by Humphry Repton who was engaged by the Second Lord Camden to improve the estate. A large extension of the 1830s east of the south range was demolished in the 1950s.

North and east fronts built of Tunbridge Wells stone rubble, south and west fronts red brick (painted to west) on ground floor and tile hung above. Tiled roofs with brick chimney stacks. North of principal front mid C19 with hipped roof and two brick chimney stacks, two storeys, seven windows, including two full height three-light canted bays. Windows are six-light arched sashes with hexagonal patterns to upper panes, crenellated parapet and projecting band to cornice. Plinth. Central arched doorcase with fanlight under cambered dripmould. Three stone steps. Mid C18 door with arched pattern in studs. East front has a central lower section of two storeys and attics. Two windows, flanked by wings of taller two storey canted bays with six-pane arched windows. Three C20 flat dormers to centre. First floor has tripartite windows and ground floor has modified Venetian windows. West front has ground floor painted brick and first floor tile hung and four hipped dormers and C20 casements below. South front has ground floor of red brick with grey headers, tile hung first floor and four six-pane sashes.

Interior of north wing has mid C18 staircase with column newel and turned balusters. Ground floor has two rooms with dado panelling with trefoil pattern, stone arched fireplace with rib mouldings and cornice with trefoils and arched doorcases. First floor has one room with early C19 basket firegate in original fireplace, dado rail, arched doorcase and cornice. Another room has original stone arched fire surround. Roof has reversed medieval timbers from the east end of Bayham Abbey Church. South wing has C18 roof of staggered purlins, attic with c1830 iron firegrate, early C19 service staircase with turned balusters and column newels and two panelled door with L hinge. Ground floor cupboard contains probably reused section of medieval ribbed stone. Cellar has stone winder stairs, fireplace of reused medieval stone, three stone alcoves and C18 wine bins.

Listing NGR: TQ6492936461

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

296161

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 14 East Sussex,

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.