Hothfield Manor
The former country seat of Lord Hothfield
By Chris Rogers
At the heart of the 350 acre Hothfield Place estate stood the Manor, or Mansion. The Reverend Harry W Russell was the vicar of Hothfield until his death in 1903. He carried out extensive research of the Parish of Hothfield and writes about the current manor, in his day, as the second manor. The first manor, he said, was an 'E' shaped structure further north-east of the later manor. Sadly we don't have any records or pictures of the first manor, and we're not exactly sure where it stood.
The second manor, however, has been much photographed and we have copies of the floor plans. This mansion was thought to have been designed by Samuel Wyatt and was completed in 1780. This was a Grade II Listed building but sadly demolished in 1954. During its life the manor was extended at both ends and a porch added at the main entrance. For a short period the manor had a veranda on the southern face. In typical Victorian style the formal lawns were laid on the northern side, with the estate's park and grazing up to the southern side.
These photos show the porch and main entrance, as well as various sides of the manor. Only the ballustrade exists today which is within the Park which is farmed by the owner of Home Farm. The site of the building itself is now a private woodland with little trace of the manor itself.
Please search our on-line archive for more images of Hothfield Manor and the Hothfield Place estate.
The south porch and carriage entrance
Published by Goulden and Wind, Ashford
The plain south facade of the mansion
Publisher unknown
North face of the manor and formal lawns
unknown publisher
Another view of the formal lawns and entrance
Published by Sweetman
All that remains is part of the front ballustrade
Chris Rogers, 2008
Site of the former Hothfield Manor, now a privately-owned wood