Wallets Court
WALLETS COURT
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1084342
- Date first listed:
- 27-Aug-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Wallets Court
- Statutory Address:
- WALLETS COURT
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-10-09
- Reference:
- IOE01/09346/27
- Rights:
- © Mr Peter Keeble. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1084342
- Date first listed:
- 27-Aug-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Wallets Court
- Statutory Address 1:
- WALLETS COURT
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:
- WALLETS COURT
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Dover (District Authority)
- Parish:
- St. Margaret's At Cliffe
- National Grid Reference:
- TR 34904 44742
Details
TR 34 SW ST MARGARET'S AT CLIFFE WESTCLIFFE
5/79 Wallets Court 27.8.52 GV II*
House. Mediaeval building largely remodelled 1627 and early C19. Red brick, painted on main elevation, with slate roof. Single rectangular range, but probably a courtyard house in origin. Two storeys on plinth with discontinuous plat band. Seven thin pilasters with bases, the four to right slightly larger and supported by the plat band. Hipped roof with stacks to end left, centre and right. Five glazing bar sashes on first floor and 4 on ground floor, all with segmental heads. Door of 6 panels, the top 2 glazed, to left in moulded flat roofed porch dated 1627 on piers, with tulip decoration in right spandrel and G in left T D spandrel. The centre right bay is recessed and rendered, and marks either the site of the original porch, or else a through passage to courtyard. A corresponding archway is on the rear wall, blocked and partly rebuilt; A moulded door on first floor of rear elevation now leads nowhere, indicating a lost wing here. Left return: rubble base with irregularly bonded red brick over, and 2 storey canted bay window with blocked brick mullioned and transomed windows of 3 tiers on first floor, 2 on ground floor. Interior: chalk lined cellars and portions of the framed interior structure appear mediaeval in date (ie certainly predating the 1627 rebuilding). An open hall was in existence C18, although possibly in now demolished portion of building. Fine moulded ceiling joists with stylised flower ornamentation. Moulded door surrounds, one at least dated 1627. Odd early C18 doors and portions of panelling survive. Four centred arched fireplace with hollow chamfer and relief shields. Open well stair, the treads of single blocks of oak, with carved newels with finials, the turned balusters largely C20 replacements. Main room with carved pilasters, decorated with strapwork, one with shields and various initials of the Gibbon family, the other with relief of woman (said to be Queen Eleanor) carrying a shield with rope finial. Upper passageway with remains of wall paintings. Some early C19 features survive (doors, panelled recesses, windows). The building, originally Westcliffe Manor, belonged to Queen Eleanor (known locally as Queen Eleanor's Palace) 1284- 1291. Residence of Gibbon family from 1573 to 1660. Thomas and Dorothy Gibbon remodelled house 1627. The historian Edward Gibbon was descended from this family. William Pitt was occupant of house 1804-6 (also Lord Warden of Cinque Ports, based at nearby WALMER Castle). Most internal features of the house have only been recovered since 1976. (See BOE Kent II 1983, 491; Hasted IX, 419 ff; see also history of house displayed inside the house).
Listing NGR: TR3502844826
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 178518
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Hasted, E, History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, (1797), 419
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: North East and East Kent, (1983), 491
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 09-Jun-2026 at 18:03:41.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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