Abbey Farmhouse

ABBEY FARMHOUSE

A farmhouse dating from the 13th or early 14th century, substantially remodelled in the late 17th or early 18th century by Sir George Sondes. The building is constructed in Flemish bond brick, with the south elevation rendered and lined out as masonry. The timber-framing of the Medieval range survives at least in its north wall. The roof is plain tiled, gable-ended on the main range with a catslide at the rear and hipped over the left-hand west range. Red brick axial and end stacks are present.

The plan comprises a main east range facing approximately south, with a cross-wing at the left west end and an outshut at the back to the north. The main east range is all that survives of a larger Medieval building of 13th or early 14th century date. It retains a scissor-brace roof without smoke-blackening. Later in the Medieval period the roof was reinforced by insertion of a crown-post and collar-purlin to prevent racking. The timing of the Medieval building's reduction in size is uncertain, but it likely occurred during the late 17th or early 18th century remodelling by Sir George Sondes, when he built the outshut behind and the cross-wing at the left west end. This cross-wing contains a parlour at the back and a small room at the front. The entrance hall and staircase were installed in the left end of the earlier range, which became a large kitchen on the ground floor with a gable-end stack, probably also added in the late 17th or early 18th century.

The original Medieval building was probably associated with the nearby Abbey, though its original function is uncertain and not necessarily domestic.

The building is two storeys and attic with an asymmetrical south front. The old range has 18th and 19th century casement windows of two and three lights. On the first floor, two windows have moulded lintels; the window to the right is an 18th century three-light window with leaded panes, whilst below on the ground floor is a three-light casement with glazing bars. To the left is a doorway with a moulded flat canopy, an early 18th century doorcase, and a 20th century panelled door. The late 17th or early 18th century cross-wing projects to the left with an 18th century twelve-pane sash on each floor and a brick band at first floor level. The right-hand return of the wing has a narrow 18th century eight-pane sash on each floor.

The cross-wing has a hipped roof with a moulded eaves cornice. Its symmetrical four-bay left-hand west elevation, forming the garden front, features a brick band at first floor level and 18th century twelve-pane sashes with moulded eaves in segmental-headed openings. The ground and first floor windows to the right of centre are blind, whilst the ground floor window to the left of centre is an 18th century garden door with a panelled lower sash below the rail.

The rear (north) side has a hipped dormer in the cross-wing, and to the left the main roof is carried down as a catslide over the outshut. The east gable end has two doorways on the ground floor and a twelve-pane sash on the first floor.

The interior is largely the result of the late 17th or early 18th century remodelling. The ground floor of the cross-wing has fielded six-panel doors. The parlour features a panelled dado and panelled cupboard doors, though the ceiling and chimney piece have been replaced. A closet off the parlour contains a cupboard with shaped shelves. A good dog-leg staircase with a moulded string, heavy chamfered hand-rail, turned balusters, and turned newels with ball finials is present; the staircase appears to be late 17th rather than 18th century in date. On the first floor are late 17th or early 18th century three-panel doors and a 17th century moulded plank door. The kitchen has plastered-over ceiling beams and a large fireplace with a chamfered timber lintel and a large oven with a 19th century iron door. The timber-framing of the rear wall is visible from the roof-space of the outshut.

The roof of the main range is Medieval with scissor-braces, below which a crown-post and collar-purlin have been inserted to prevent racking. The timbers show no smoke-blackening. The rectangular crown-post has curved braces to the tie-beam and one curved brace to the collar-purlin. The Medieval roof was originally hipped, and the purlin has a curved bracket to the hip rafter, but the roof has been extended to a gable end with common rafters and without a ridgepiece. The roof over the cross-wing has large common rafters which were probably reused from a Medieval roof.

Abbey Farm probably belonged to the Benedictine Abbey of Faversham, founded in 1147. After the Dissolution, the Abbey passed to the Diggs family and later to the Sondes, who held Abbey Farm until recently when it was sold to Wadham College Oxford. Jacob's History of Faversham (1774) states that Abbey Farmhouse was built by Sir George Sondes.