Bradbourne House

Bradbourne House

Country house in a landscaped park on the east side of New Road, East Malling and Larkfield.

The house was built between 1713 and 1715 on the site of a Tudor house, with some parts of the earlier building retained in the kitchen area and west wing, which was refaced in the 17th century. Further work was carried out in 1748 and internally around 1774. The main work of 1713–15 was commissioned by Sir Thomas Twysden. The house was restored around 1950.

West Front

The west wing is a 17th-century structure refaced in 1713–15. It is built of brown brick with red dressing in the outer bays and pinky-buff and vermilion in the centre, on a red and blue brick plinth. Coupled brick pilasters flank the ends and frame a central projection. The elevations feature a modillion eaves cornice and a tall central pediment with a keyed oculus to a panelled parapet. The slate roof carries four triangular pediment dormers and panelled end stacks with cornice mouldings.

The frontage is two storeys with attics, arranged in a 3-3-3 window rhythm. The central bays are spaced to match the width of the entrance bay, which is wider than all others. First-floor windows are shallower than the very tall ground-floor windows. Each window bay is framed by chainage, with gauzing over each window. Those on the ground floor are in the second, fourth, sixth and eighth bays, without decorated soffits. Single keystones in moulded brick appear on the first floor, with triple keystones below. Sunk panels are positioned below each window except those flanking the central entrance and the round-arched window.

The entrance is round-arched with segment-headed brick sunk framing and impost mouldings above. A central Corinthian pilastered entrance surround features a broken bracketed modillion cornice hood moulding. Double three-quarter glazed doors with a large wreathed and radiating fanlight of circa 1760 sit within. Convex quadrant walls flank a perron with end piers and globes.

South Front

A nine-bay wing of one storey with attic, possibly of 1748, is flanked by the ends of two wings of 1713–15. The centre features a three-bay bow of circa 1774, built in red, brown, blue, vermilion, orange and buff brick. The nine bays contain tall windows with gauged and keyed heads. The central bow has similar though shallower windows. A modillion cornice runs above, with a panelled parapet bearing two urns over the bow. The plain tiled roof carries three dormers: the central one with a segmental pediment and the outer pair with triangular pediments.

The flanking wing is of two storeys, framed by giant brick pilasters with a modillion cornice and panelled parapet. A central panelled stack rests on the parapet. Three bays are present, with that in the centre bay projecting. Blocked panels occupy the centre bay; on the ground floor, one contains a fictive niche in brick tiling. Outer ground-floor bays are panelled and broken by keyed oculi, with glazing bar sashes above. All windows and panels feature gauged heads with single brick keystones above and triple keystones below. Single blocked panelled windows appear on both floors in the re-entrant angles. Lead down-pipes dated 1748 are signed by Loppars.

North Front

The north front is of red brick with orange dressings across two storeys. A central seven-bay recess is flanked by two-bay wings; that to the right features a modillion cornice and panelled parapet, making it higher. Tall panelled stacks sit on the wings, centrally on the parapet to the left, and over the left-hand bay to the right. Blocked windows occupy the wings and in the re-entrant angles (one in the left angle, two to the right), and blocked windows on both floors appear in the second and sixth bays of the recess. Sunken panels sit below first-floor windows throughout, and above first-floor windows in the right-hand wing. Gauged heads, brick keystarts and chainage run throughout; decorated soffits to gauged heads appear only over the first-floor windows of the right-hand wing.

A central panelled door with a radiating fanlight of circa 1840 is set within a pedimented porch projecting five yards on thin columns. Wooden railings close the recess to either side. A kitchen wing of two storeys in red brick is set back to the left.

Interior

The hall contains a two-flight return stair in wood with a Salamonic balustrade, covered tread ends and underside to risers. Fielded panelling dates to 1713–15.

The telephone room features fielded panelling of 1713–15. The green room also has fielded panelling of 1713–15. The Great Hall displays fielded panelling with egg and dark surrounds, probably of 1713–15, and a dentilled cornice. A central egg and dark ceiling panel is present, with a bolection mould fireplace surround.

The breakfast room contains fielded panelling. The drawing room has a bow end and Adamesque decoration to the plaster ceiling, cornice, window surrounds, shutters and dado rail. An Ionic columned grey and green marble fire surround features central and undermantel panels depicting Diana.

The printing room features a papier mâché late Rococo ceiling of circa 1750 and an Ionic columned fine surround in white and grey marble. A walnut staircase is also present.

The kitchen features a large chamfered wooden bressumer, perhaps remaining from the original house, together with a large bread oven and a 19th-century hand pump.

On the first floor, doors off the walnut staircase are all of walnut. Bedroom 1 contains a marble fireplace with a mantel on grey marble volute brackets. The overmantel is surmounted by a broken pediment containing an eagle, with an egg and dark surround and fielded panelling. A passage on the first floor contains small square panelling possibly remaining from the original house, dated to circa 1580.

Bedroom 2 features fielded panelling, a barrel-vaulted ceiling and an Adamesque fire surround. Bedroom 3 has fielded panelling and a fire surround of circa 1713–15.