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Radfield House and Hamlet
The hamlet of Radfield sits astride London Road just beyond the westernmost edge of Lynsted Parish with Radfield House on the southern margin of London Road. The Society has been given a reference copy of a study - “Radfield, nr Teynham, Kent. A study into its history, archaeology and architecture”, edited by John Clancy, BA, for the Sittingbourne Heritage Museum, Local History Study Group who published the study (December 2010).
The study documents the mixture of architectural features that span the main construction period from c.1500 to 1799. Perhaps starting life as a small-holder’s home, occupied by a family and a few servants within a typical Kentish Wealden Hall - taking the form of a symmetrical oblong of modest dimensions with characteristic construction features including jetty, brick in-fill between major timber structures. As we an see in buildings of a similar age in Cellar Hill to the east, substantial corner timbers began life as oak trunks that have been upturned to provide a splayed footing. The study explains various key features, including the use of rag-stone foundations and substantial tie beams that are revealed inside. Without glass, rebated wooden shutters would have added some weather-proofing before the more modern glazed additions. Radfield House is today set in the eastern, detached, parish of Bapchild (split as it is by Tonge to the north and south of London Road). The study makes a fascinating speculation on the peculiarity of the Parish boundaries here by drawing on a possible Roman road that traversed north-to-south from Sheppey to the downs at a time when the marshes joined Sheppey with the mainland. Another mystery raised by this study is that of the ‘missing chapel’ dedicated to St.Mary and dating from the 12th century (or much earlier). Its exact location is not known but was likely to have been close to Radfield House, perhaps on the opposite side of the ancient Roman road. Mention is made to several tantalising Roman remains identified through a ‘bucket full of Roman bricks and tiles’, a training excavation at Radfield (1972 - written up by Dr Robert Baxter) and an owner who believed there was much more in the neighbouring garden! Finally, the study records the occupancy of Radfield House from the 16th century. Altogether a fascinating study of a remarkable house and hamlet.
Listing for Radfield House, includes the decorative iron railings to its front.
Copies of this study may be obtained from Sittingbourne Heritage Museum
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