Frittenden offers two different starting points for a culturally focused stay: the seasonal lectures organised by the Frittenden Historical Society and several historic buildings. The lectures provide a specific date to plan around; the buildings can be compared by their construction phases, former uses and architectural forms. When choosing Frittenden for a stay, you can therefore first decide whether a lecture sets the right time for your trip or whether you want to focus primarily on the architecture.
Seasonal lectures
From October to April, the Frittenden Historical Society holds meetings at Frittenden Memorial Hall on the last Tuesday of these months; there are no meetings in December. Visitors are welcome to attend the lectures organised by the society. The monthly schedule makes the day of the week an important point to consider when planning: if a lecture is the reason for your trip, plan your stay around one of the Tuesdays listed. As schedules and arrangements for visiting may change, check the current events calendar before travelling.
Church and memorial from different periods
Two different construction periods can be distinguished at the Church of St Mary. R C Hussey largely rebuilt the church between 1846 and 1848; the base of a 15th-century tower was retained. Thus, a substantial 19th-century rebuilding stands alongside an older medieval component. This contrast is particularly informative for an architectural history perspective: both the renewal and the preservation of older fabric are part of the church’s history.
The memorial to Reverend Edward Moore was erected in 1921. Its date adds a more recent point of reference to the picture of Frittenden’s architectural history. Together with the older tower base and the church’s rebuilding, the memorial allows a comparison spanning several centuries, without conflating the different structures into a single building history.
Oast houses, a barn and a threshing floor
The oast house and barn about 15 metres south of Manor Farmhouse form a group of several structures. These include an oast house as well as an additional barn and a storage area. The structures described date from the 18th century or earlier, the early 19th century and the late 19th century. The different dates make several building phases the subject of interest, rather than reducing everything to a single date of construction. A continuous, full-height passage through the oast house and barn served as a threshing floor. Its former function can therefore be considered alongside its architectural form: the passage was part of the agricultural use of these buildings.
Another oast house, about 25 metres north of Stone Court Farmhouse, dates from the 18th century. It can be distinguished from the group described above: here, the focus is on the oast house, its date and its relationship to Stone Court Farmhouse; the other group also includes the additional barn, the storage area and the passage used as a threshing floor. This describes two distinct architectural arrangements for comparing historic agricultural buildings.
The form of Maplehurst Watermill
Maplehurst Watermill adds another type of building to the comparison. It consists of two wings arranged in an L shape; the layout of these building sections defines its described form. It can be considered alongside the oast houses and the group with a barn, storage area and threshing floor by comparing their forms. Those interested in historic architecture can thus contrast different features: building phases, agricultural use, the composition of a group of buildings and the L-shaped arrangement of two wings.
Discover more places to visit: Waltham, Woodchurch, Ashford, Ide Hill, Five Oak Green, Hadlow, Newington, Swingfield
For the broader travel overview: Kent.
