Details
TQ 55 SE IGHTHAM MOTE ROAD
3/11 (east side)
1.8.52 Ightham Mote
GV
I
House. Present buildings date at least from circa 1340-1360, with much addition
since. Moated, 4 ranges round courtyard with smaller yard behind to east. West front
2 ranges either side of west tower. Coursed rubble stone to left and right, the upper
parts galletted, the lower ungalletted. Plain tiled roofs with end stacks. Central
tower random rubble stone with early C16 crenellated brick parapet. Two storeys to
sides, 3-storey tower. Three windows either side of centre almost symmetrical, save
first floor to left with one larger 3-light window with dripmould centrally-placed.
Two-light lattice casement windows with round heads in square frames. Three-light
lattice casements with dripmould and cusped heads to lights on first and second floors
of tower. Main entrance arch in larger, shallower arched surround. Large double
doors with smaller door in right-hand one. North front. Deep random rubble
basement. Random rubble gable end of west front to right with stone C18 Palladian
window inserted in C16 window surround. Two timber-framed ranges to left. Right-hand
range taller with plain tiled roof and coved eaves at right-hand end. Large off-ridge
stack to left. Three large casements regularly placed around centre of range and
smaller casement to left. Lower framed range to left with plain tiled roof and 3
brick stacks off-ridge to rear. Irregular 3 window front, stone casements below,
wooden casements above. East front. Random rubble ground floor, mixture of random
rubble and timber-framing above. Framed gable end at extreme right-hand end, large
wooden casement on first floor. Stone gable end to left of it taller with windows on
first floor and in attic. Central timber-framed block, close-studded. Plain tiled
roof with 2 different roof pitches. Three storeys, irregularly fenestrated, 3 windows
on second floor, 2 on first floor. Arched entrance with bridge over moat on ground
floor to left. Gable end large brick stack to left. Stone mullioned window on all 3
floors of gable. South front. Random stone, below random stone gable and to left.
Timber-framed return gable at right-hand end. Central part jettied over ground floor
as is the right-hand gable, recently covered with applied timbering. Plain tiled roof
with 2 brick stacks, left and right of centre. Two storeys; 7 window first floor, 7
window ground floor, all casements, mostly with arched heads in square surrounds.
Courtyard. West side. Central tower with main entrance to courtyard below, and two
3-light windows with cusped heads to the lights and dripmoulds on first and second
storeys above. North side. Timber-framed with wooden loggia to right on the ground
Floor and the 3 chapel windows above. Staircase projection to left with small wooden
bell-turret on gable. East side. Hall range. Random rubble and tall storey to
right, timber-framed with 2 return gables and 2 storeys to left. Entrance to hall at
extreme right with moulded arch of Bethersden marble. Five-light lattice casement
window with possibly original glass and 5 stained-glass coats-of-arms to left of the
entrance. Cusp-headed lights in square-headed surround with dripmould. Both gables
with C16 decorated barge-boards. Large oriel window on coved footing flanked by
smaller casements. One pane of glass in this oriel is inscribed 'John Rauner, 1680',
the name of,the glazier and the date of the introduction of the window. Central
gabled dog-kennel, half-timbered, added in 1891. Windows on the north and east sides
have Gothick-headed glazing bars, added circa 1800. Interior: Built circa 1340-60.
Possibly never had a screens passage for there is a lancet of contemporary date where
the answering doorway to the main entrance should have been. Two arched doorways in
south end wall, that to right larger, possible the original buttery and pantry
entrances. Trussed rafter roof with collar purlin and crown-post resting in stone
sphare arch which rests on a pair of carved corbels. Wooden arches at each end also
resting on carved corbels Panelling and fireplace surround by R Norman Shaw, 1872.
Crypt. Circa 1340-60,2 bays with pair of quadripartite rib vaults. Original
chapel. Circa 1340-60, converted into 2-rooms, 1521-27. Original arched dorway with
moulded surround. Depressed ogee-arched squint into Oriel Room. On site of original
solar. Trussed rafter roof with 2 crown posts and one king post on tie beams.
Jacobean revival 2-tier fireplace, 1866. Staircase, circa 1620. Two-flight
rectangular square newel with Italian balusters. Carved Saracen's head on lower newel
post. Chapel 1521-27. Wooden barrell vault with 3 tie-beams, decorated with painted
royal badges and chevrons. Contemporary screen, pairs, pulpit and sounding board.
Stained glass possibly Cologne in origin and circa 1525, in one window. West door,
circa 1340-60, boarded with long strap hinges. Drawing Room. South fireplace 2 tier,
circa 1620, and carved frieze of same date. Hand-painted Chinese wallpaper of C18,
restored in 1891-92, same date as north-west neo-Jacobean, 1891-92. Chapel
Staircase. 1891-92. See Country Life, I, 406; 21; 414; 71; 240.
Listing NGR: TQ5843553324
