Description

WEST MALLING

TQ6857 SWAN STREET
1156-0/3/161 St Mary's Abbey: Convent building
25/08/59
(Formerly Listed as:
SWAN STREET
St Marry's Abbey)

GV I

Convent. C14 south side of abbey cloister with house erected
by Isaac Honeywood by 1735 reusing stone from the ruined abbey
and salvaging window surrounds on the site of an earlier
timber-framed post-Reformation house shown in a print by
Stukeley of 1724 and with early C19 alterations and C20
additions and alterations, when it reverted to a religious
house. Built of stone rubble with tiled roof and 4 stone
chimneystacks. 2 storeys and attics 7 windows. H-shaped. North
front has ground floor C14 cloisters with 17
trefoliated-headed arches. End bays project having gable ends
with wooden fretted bargeboards. Attic has lancet with leaded
light. 1st floor has 6 double cinquefoil-headed lights but 2
single ones to the centre flanking a wheel window with carved
spandrels. Ground floor now has a later C20 lean-to verandah
in stone with pantiled roof not of special interest. The south
front is of ashlar. It has 2 end projecting gables with
bargeboards and the central section has 5 gabled dormers.
Parapet and cornice to centre. Windows are mainly 2-light
cinquefoil-headed windows but are 3-light to the lst floor of
the end bays and central 1st floor window is a rose window.
Ground floor end bays have C18 Geometrical traceried windows.
Central arched doorcase of Gothick type with pilasters and
circular fanlight.
Interior has staircase hall with Gothick cornice, 2 C18
4-centred arched doorcases and wooden Gothick balustrading
which is probably C19. Rest of interior not seen. C20
extension to east by Sir Charles Nicholson 1935 not of special
interest.
(Buildings of England: Newman J: West Kent and the Weald:
578).

Listing NGR: TQ6829257677

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q99646344

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)