Folly in Grounds of Mill House Situated to West of the Water Mill
FOLLY IN GROUNDS OF MILL HOUSE SITUATED TO WEST OF THE WATER MILL, HIGH STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1237806
- Date first listed:
- 22-Oct-1982
- List Entry Name:
- Folly in Grounds of Mill House Situated to West of the Water Mill
- Statutory Address:
- FOLLY IN GROUNDS OF MILL HOUSE SITUATED TO WEST OF THE WATER MILL, HIGH STREET
Have you got a photo to share?
Join the Missing Pieces Project. We want you to share your photos and memories.
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 1999-08-05
- Reference:
- IOE01/01259/21
- Rights:
- © Miss Jennifer Gough - Cooper. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1237806
- Date first listed:
- 22-Oct-1982
- List Entry Name:
- Folly in Grounds of Mill House Situated to West of the Water Mill
- Statutory Address 1:
- FOLLY IN GROUNDS OF MILL HOUSE SITUATED TO WEST OF THE WATER MILL, HIGH STREET
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:
- FOLLY IN GROUNDS OF MILL HOUSE SITUATED TO WEST OF THE WATER MILL, HIGH STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Sevenoaks (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Farningham
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ5448867016
Details
1.
5280
TQ 5467
9/126
FARNINGHAM
HIGH STREET
(south-west side)
Folly in grounds of Mill House situated to west of The Water Mill
II
GV
2.
Probably dates from 1790. This is situated on a hill overlooking the Water Mill.
To the left there is a network of low flint walls capped with red brick. To the
right of this, approached up a steep bank are 3 octagonal turrets, the one on the
extreme left built of flint and brick in a chequer work design with a stone crocket
over surmounted by a ball finial. The central turret is truncated and is built of
flint and brick. The right side turret, also of flint and brick has a crenellated
parapet and arrow-slit windows. Double-headed lancet windows to right of this. On
the extreme right is a summer house built of flint with stone dressings. The rear
wall has a diaper pattern of stock brick and flint, having flint galleting. The
front inside wall is lined with cockle shells. The window is a 'Gothic' painted
arch with stone lights. A painted arch with stone quoins leads back to the
hillside. Underneath the turrets and summer house are 2 chambers excavated out of
the hillside. Both have round-headed brick entrances set in a flint wall. The
chambers are brick lined. Air shafts lead up, presumably to the turrets. The
left hand chamber has a very small lead cistern dated 1790 forming part of a pump.
The other chamber has an ogee-headed arch at the end facing the entrance. Both were
probably used for storing grain for the adjacent mill and the Folly thus had a
practical as well as ornamental purpose.
Listing NGR: TQ5448867016
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 415116
- 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 20-Jun-2026 at 10:50:01.
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.