Fairlawne
FAIRLAWNE, TONBRIDGE ROAD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1072711
- Date first listed:
- 01-Aug-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Fairlawne
- Statutory Address:
- FAIRLAWNE, TONBRIDGE ROAD
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1072711
- Date first listed:
- 01-Aug-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Fairlawne
- Statutory Address 1:
- FAIRLAWNE, TONBRIDGE ROAD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- FAIRLAWNE, TONBRIDGE ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Tonbridge and Malling (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Plaxtol
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 59436 53430
Details
TQ 55 SE PLAXTOL TONBRIDGE ROAD 3/14 (east side)
1.8.52 Fairlawne I
Country house. Earlier building rebuilt for Sir Henry Vane 1630-55, additions by Lord Barnard 1680, completed for Lord Vane 1723, in part by James Gibbs. Victorian additions and interior decoration by William Burn before 1840 and J MacVicar Anderson 1872. Most Victorian additions removed 1954. West front. 1680. Dressed and coursed Kentish ragstone on ragstone plinth with painted stone pilaster-strip quoins, plat-band at architrave window surrounds. Modillion cornice and parapet hiding slate roofs. Two-stage cupola off-centre to left, square, with canted corner pilasters and entablature on lower stage and lead cupola, 3 brick stacks, 2 either side of centre, one at left-hand end. Two-storeys; 9 bays, the central 4 spaced slightly further apart, glazing bar sashes. Three-bay Roman Doric 'porte cochere' with paired columns, added in 1872 by J MacVicar Anderson. Slightly recessed northern extension, possibly hiding part of the earlier house with facade probably by Gibbs in 1723. Dressed and coursed rubble with painted stone pilaster-strip quoin and keystones to windows. Cornice, parapet and left and stack. Three storeys; 4 bays, glazing bar sashes. South front quoins and dressings. Plat-band, modillion cornice and parapet hiding slate roofs. Central 2 bays project slightly with pediment in parapet area. Two storeys; 6 bays, glazing bar plinth with stone pilaster-strip quoins and dressing. Plat band, modillion cornice and parapet hiding slate roof. Two storeys, 5 bays, glazing bar sashes. Central glazed door with rectangular over-light and segment pediment hood. Taller 2-storey block to north-east with attic pediments facing south and east. Two bays to south, with glazing bar sashes; 3 bays to east, sashes without glazing bar sashes. Seven-bay conservatory of 1872 to east, with Roman Doric colonnaded loggia and glazed internal barrel-vault. Interior. Entrance hall. Panelled with 1872 plaster ceiling and single C18 black marble fireplace. Study. Two-storey fireplace, topped by broken swan-neck pediment and door surround with carved and pierced frieze. Great Room. Wood panelled with carved ornament. Door surround with fluted Ionic half-columns and triangular pediment. Marble fireplace with half-columned and pedimented sedicular overmantel. Drawings for this room survive in the Gibbs Collection at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. See Country Life, 30 October and 6 November 1958. Also 27 November 1958 for correspondence on the attribution to Gibbs of the Great Room.
Listing NGR: TQ5933754660
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 357378
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Country Life in 27 November, (1958)
Country Life in 30 October, (1958)
Country Life in 6 November, (1958)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 11-Jun-2026 at 01:29:16.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.