Historic Houses in Kent

In 1456 Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, purchased the 12th-century estate of Knole from Lord Saye and Sele (see Broughton Castle). Under Bourchier's influence, an older medieval manor was transformed into a house that probably resembles an Oxford college more than it does a typical stately home.
Sevenoaks, Kent, England, TN15 0RP

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Heritage Highlight: Superb collection of 17th century furniture
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Here's history for you; the Lullingstone estate was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, making it one of the oldest family estates in England. Since 1497 it has been home to the Peche family, who built the attractive mansion, now fronted by a Queen Anne facade of red brick. The house looks out across a 15-acre lake and is accessed through a very large gatehouse built during the reign of Henry VII.
Eynsford, Kent, England, DA4 0JA

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History abounds at Nurstead Court. The manor dates back over 1000 years, though the oldest part of the current house is a relative youngster, built in 1320 by Stephan de Gravesend, Bishop of London. The great hall is one of the finest in England, rising 36 feet to the roof.
Nurstead Church Lane, Meopham, Gravesend, Kent, England, DA13 9AD

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Heritage Highlight: 14th century hall
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The solar block is all that remains of this 13th-century knight's house. The house was built by the Culpeper (Culpepper) family, who were powerful landowners from Aylesford. They built Old Soar to be a combination prestigious dwelling house and defensible stronghold. It was never by any stretch a castle, but it was far more of a defensive structure than a simple hall house. It was also a testament to their influence and wealth.

Plaxtol, Borough Green, Kent, England, TN15 0QX

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Heritage Highlight: This beautifully situated medieval manor boasts a vaulted solar with a rare crown-post collar-purlin roof.
Photos of Old Soar Manor
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Formal gardens surround this seat of the powerful Sidney family, begun in 1340. The house is built around a huge medieval hall with a central hearth.
Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent, England, TN11 8DG

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Heritage Highlight: One of the finest fortified manors in England
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Historic House: Quex House is a relaxed, genteel building, home to the Powell-Cotton family. There is a fascinating museum of African and Oriental life on the site. The house itself offers an enjoyable mix of fine furnishings in an informal, setting. Among the many articles on display are antique clocks, English glassware, silver, and paintings.
Quex Park, Birchington, Kent, England, CT7 0BH

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Heritage Highlight: Extraordinary collections of African and Asian cultural artefacts and animals
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Historic House: One of the outstanding gardens of the world, created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson as a series of separate gardens within the larger garden. Climb the tower of the Elizabethan house to appreciate the garden as a whole. There are colour schemes throughout, as in the orange and yellow garden and the white garden. The Rose Garden has many old varieties, and there is a thyme lawn leading down to the herb garden.
Biddenden Road, Sissinghurst, nr Cranbrook, Kent, England, TN17 2AB

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Heritage Highlight: An Elizabethan tower stands at the centre of this superb 20th century garden.
Photos of Sissinghurst Castle Garden
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Stoneacre is a late 15th-century half-timbered yeoman's house with a great hall typical of the period. The house was restored in the 1920s, when a new wing was added and the house extended to the rear. It was granted to the National Trust in 1928. Behind the house is a restored cottage garden.
Otham, Maidstone, Kent, England, ME15 8RS

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Heritage Highlight: 15th-century hall
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Not so much a castle as a castellated manor house, Whitstable Castle dates to the last years of the 18th century. It was built by Charles Pearson, a successful London businessman and entrepreneur, and is now operated by a charitable trust for the benefit of local residents.
The Gate House , Tower Hill, Whitstable, Kent, England, CT5 2BW

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