History of Stoneacre

By Roger Smith

Stoneacre was built in about 1480 as a typical Kentish Hall and Screen House constructed of oak timber framing with wattle and daub infilling. It would have had a central Hall with a wooden screen at the North end, running between the front and back doors. The Hall was open to the roof with a central fire, the smoke from which would have gone out through the roof. To the North of the Hall would have been a Buttery with a Bedroom above and to the South a Parlour with Solar above.
During the sixteenth century the fire was moved to a chimney built on the South wall and a floor added in the Hall to give two bedrooms above. At the same time all the timberwork was plastered over, both inside and out, to give a smooth appearance.
The house remained like this until it was bought in 1920 by Aymer Valance. He removed all the plaster to reveal the timbers and took the floor from the Hall to use in an extension he added to the South side. He then bought another timber framed house which he took apart, transported to Otham, and re-erected to form a wing on the West of Stoneacre.
In 1928 he gave Stoneacre to The National Trust. Although the property is tenanted the gardens and part of the house are open every Saturday from 11.00am to 5.30pm from mid March to mid October.