Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery (Chillington House)
Maidstone Museum, St Faith's Street, Maidstone, ME14 1LH
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1222803
- Date first listed:
- 30-Jul-1951
- List Entry Name:
- Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery (Chillington House)
- Statutory Address:
- Maidstone Museum, St Faith's Street, Maidstone, ME14 1LH
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-09-28
- Reference:
- IOE01/03931/07
- Rights:
- © Dr Henry Teed. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1222803
- Date first listed:
- 30-Jul-1951
- List Entry Name:
- Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery (Chillington House)
- Statutory Address 1:
- Maidstone Museum, St Faith's Street, Maidstone, ME14 1LH
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:
- Maidstone Museum, St Faith's Street, Maidstone, ME14 1LH
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Maidstone (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 75895 56005
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 14/01/2020
TQ 7555 NE 1/107
TQ 7556 SE 4/107
ST FAITH'S STREET (north side)
Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery (Chillington House)
(Formerly listed as Chillington House (The Maidstone Municipal Museum and Art Gallery) FAITH STREET)
30.7.51
II*
The core is an early Elizabethan house built by Nicholas Barham who bought the manor in 1561. Heavily restored in 1875 it has later additions. The front facing St Faith Street is E-shaped. Red brick.
Each of the three projecting wings has three storeys, one window and a gable with kneelers, the apex of the gable being surmounted by stone animal figures and the kneelers by twisted finials ending in ball caps. These figures and finials were added in the C19. Between these projections is one window bay of two storeys. Stone cornice above each floor. Windows of three tiers of four lights with wooden mullions and transoms and diamond leaded panes. Giving entrance to the forecourt from St Faith Street are C19 stone gate piers surmounted by figures of lions sedant.
The back of the part of the building facing Brenchley Gardens has been added in the late C17. It has two storeys and an attic. Seven windows and five dormers with pediments. Red brick. Tiled roof and wooden modillion eaves cornice. Recessed panels between the ground and first floor windows. Casement windows with small square leaded panes. One-sash windows with glazing bars intact.
The north wing is timber-framed but restored and was formerly weatherboarded. On its east front it has three gables, the two southernmost ones of stone rubble on the ground floor and red brick above, the northernmost one of studded timber framing on a base of stone rubble. On the west front this wing is of red brick on the ground floor and studded above, the first floor overhanging on a moulded bressumer. Two storeys. Porch in the centre of the front with its first floor jettied and a gable over. Continuous gallery windows which are a modern reconstruction of the original.
Modern extension at the north end of the wing. Also modern extensions to the east and west of the main building replacing older structures.
The timber framed building to the east of the north wing was the south wing of Court Lodge East Farleigh, which was re-erected here in 1874. The interior contains a fine Elizabethan Great Hall with C16 panelling and its original screen which has a frieze pierced with a lattice of quatrefoils. Fine C16 fireplaces and cloisters dating from the reign of Henry VII or Henry VIII. The interior of the south wing of the Court Lodge East Farleigh has a crown post roof.
Listing NGR: TQ7591255993
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 173310
- Legacy System:
- LBS
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 16-Jun-2026 at 03:54:25.
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.