Details
OTTERDEN BUNCE COURT ROAD
TQ 95 SW (west side)
5/244 Otterden Place, and
20.10.52. Donkey Wheel attached
GV II*
Mansion. Built by Sir Anthony Aucher in mid C16, altered early
C18 and 1787-88. Altered and partly rebuilt by William Pilkington
for Granville Hastings Wheler 1801-3. Red brick, C16 work
in English bond, C19 work interspersed with grey headers, in
Flemish bond. Plain-tile roof. C16 courtyard house, with octagonal
tower to north-west corner and long gallery to west side. House
truncated 1788, leaving northern half, of which south elevation
rebuilt and east elevation altered in 1801-3. 2 storeys attic
and cellars. South (entrance) front: Rendered moulded string
below crenellated brick parapet. Projecting wing to right and to
left, each with full-height canted bay. Central section also has
full-height central bay. Hipped roofs to wings. Various octagonal.
stacks; row of five, probably partly C16, towards left end, two
C16 rear moulded brick flues to left, two, probably C16, to
left of centre, C19 row of five set further back to right end of
central section, with two C16 flues aligned behind them. Tops of
further stacks visible behind ridge of central section. Low
dormers behind parapet. Regular fenestration of rendered, plain-
chamfered brick mullioned and transomed windows; 2 tiers of
8 lights to each floor of each wing, 2 tiers of 5 lights with
hoodmould to centre of central canted bay with single mullioned
and transomed window to each side, the bay flanked by one similar
4-light window either side. Projecting single-storey brick porch,
also embattled, to central canted bay, with ribbed door in 4-centred
arched moulded architrave with hoodmould. East front: extensive
areas of C16 red brick in English bond. One broad, slightly
projecting bay either end. Crenellation and string returned from
south front,both dropped lower in central section. Regular
fenestration of mullioned and transomed windows with hoodmoulds.
North front: C16 brick, with C18 wood modillion eaves cornice.
6 tall early C18 glazing-bar sashes to ground floor and later mullioned
and transomed windows to first floor. West, gable end has large
projecting C16 brick stack with 2 moulded brick flues, not visible
from south front. C16 polygonal brick turret to south-west corner
with moulded string and crenellation. Pointed brick archway running
west from tower, dated 1825, leading to horizontal donkey wheel.
Donkey wheel: under lean-to canopy attached to south wall of north
range at west end. About 25 feet from deep well to wheel, which
has automatic braking system. Interior: At least three C16
moulded stone fireplaces. Late C16 moulded stone doorway to cellar
stairs, with contemporary ribbed door. Roof over truncated long
gallery, of 3½ bays, with vertical queen struts to rafters and short
curved windbraces, ceiled at collar level. Early C18 raised and
fielded panelling to west ground-floor room of north range, with
moulded dado rail and cornice. pulvinated frieze over door and
coved and moulded mantlepiece. Small room towards south end of
east range on first floor with late C18 hand painted Chinese wall-
paper on blue ground, divided into vertical panels by narrow strips
of buffish paper painted with pale bamboos, which continue
horizontally as frieze. Early Cl9 entrance hall with staircase
of slender neo-classical balusters, Tuscan columns to ground floor
and Ionic to first. Owned since early C18 by Wheler family, also
owners, from 1789, of Ledston Hall Estate, Yorkshire. Site of first
experiments with electric line, conducted June 1729 by the
Rev. Granville Wheler and Dr. Stephen Gray. (J. Lees-Milne,
Otterden Place, Kent, Country Life, August 27th 1970. J. Newman,
Buildings of England Series, North East and East Kent, 1969).
Listing NGR: TQ9466854202
