Hole Park
| Hole Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
  shown within Kent | |
| General information | |
| Status | Grade II listed |
| Location | Rolvenden, Kent grid reference TQ 832 325 |
| Address | Hole Park, Benenden Road, Rolvenden, Cranbrook TN17 4JA |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°3′44″N 0°36′47″E / 51.06222°N 0.61306°ECoordinates: 51°3′44″N 0°36′47″E / 51.06222°N 0.61306°E |
| Website | |
| www | |
Hole Park is a privately owned country house near the village of Rolvenden, in Kent, England. It is a Grade II listed building.[1] The gardens, first opened in the 1920s, are regularly open to the public.
Description[]
History[]
The earliest mention of the estate is in 1278, when Hole Park was owned by Henry de Hole. By the early 16th century it was owned by Robert Gybbon, a wealthy clothier. The family was joined by marriage in the early 18th century with the Monypennys of Maytham Hall. The house was built about this time.[2]
In the 1830s Thomas Gybbon Monypenny enlarged and refashioned the house in Elizabethan style; he laid out ornamental gardens and enlarged the park. To achieve this he mortgaged the property to James Morrison, who subsequently became the owner. His son Frank Morrison was later the resident.[2]
Hole Park was purchased in 1911 by Colonel Arthur Barham. He redesigned the gardens, and they opened to the public in 1927, one of the first to be opened as part of the National Garden Scheme.[2][3]
The house was requisitioned by the army in the Second World War. In 1959 David Barham, grandson of Arthur Barham, returned to the estate.[2] The house was reconstructed: the 19th-century wings were removed, and the façade was restored to its condition before the Elizabethan-style additions.[1][4]
Present day[]
The current residents, since 2003, are Edward Barham, great-grandson of Arthur Barham, and his family. He manages the gardens and the wider estate, and as of 2021 is chairman of the south-east region of Historic Houses.[5] The gardens, area 15 acres (6 ha), set in wooded parkland of area 220 acres (89 ha), are opened regularly to the public.[2][4]
References[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hole Park, Rolvenden. |
- ^ a b Historic England. "Hole Park (1362919)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Hole Park, Rolvenden" Parks and Gardens. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- ^ "Hole Park" National Garden Scheme. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ a b Hole Park Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ "About us" Hole Park. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- Country houses in Kent
- Gardens in Kent