Aymers, Lynsted Street
Aymers is a country house built in the 1860's of red brick with stone detailing which includes stone mullioned windows. this Victorian house is approached through gates, past a lodge house, and along a curving drive. Whilst still rather screened from view with planting, its clustered red brick chimneys can be seen above the enclosing trees.
David Bage tells us: Most of the land around the house no longer belongs to the house which is left with less than an acre. The land associated with the house used to extend as far as, and include, Toll Wood.
The Village Fete has been held in the grounds of Aymers - including the 1953 Royal Pageant Celebration Fete
The Vallance: a series of detached houses set along a winding cul-de-sac is a modern development on the edge of Aymers.
Historically, this is the family home of the Vallance Family in the village. Aymer Vallance is a well known member of that family who was a widely published and nationally recognised local historian.
Kent Historic Environment Record
HER Number: TQ 96 SW 1171
AYMERS (INCLUDING THE STABLES)
Summary
Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1867 to 1869
Grid Reference: TQ 9445 6058
Listed Building (II) 1268471: AYMERS (INCLUDING THE STABLES)
Full description
2/10001 - Aymers (including The Stables)
House and attached stable courtyard. Built for Captain Thomas Vallance between 1867 and 1869 and subsequently the home of Aymer Vallance (1862-1943). Asymmetrical house of red brick in a mixture of Flemish and English bond with stone dressings, tiled roof and clustered brick chimneystacks. Entrance front has main house of 2 storeys and attics; 5 windows. Irregular two or three light stone mullioned windows. Projecting full-height entrance bay has gabled attic window with double trefoliated window with blank quatrefoil and brick relieving arch. Arched doorcase with blank quatrefoils above. Two other gabled dormers and right side tall arched stone windows with double trefoil mullioned and transomed window through two floors. Parapet with stone coping and plinth. Service wing of one to two storeys with three gables and wooden casements. Attached to north is contemporary 4 bay conservatory with brick and stone plinth and wood and glass superstructure. Wooden cresting and finials. Garden front of main house is of two storeys and attics; four windows. To right is projecting gable with 2 storey 5-light bay. To left is tall triple lancet staircase window. Other windows are mullioned and transomed casements. Service wing of 2 storeys has two gables and two mullioned and transomed stone casements. Attached to south is a 2 storey building with bands of plain and curved tiles to first floor and ladder access leading to former coach house and stables. Coach house retains double doors on ground floors and has three gabled dormers on first floor with sash windows, formerly staff accommodation. Former stables of one storey with pivoting cambered 16-pane sashes and 2 storey projecting central gable with loading door, wooden hoist and cambered arch. Stables retain wooden stall partitions and iron hayrack. Entrance Hall has fine oak well staircase with trefoil heads to balustrading and chamfered corner posts with ball finials. Stained glass heraldic window. Oak fireplace with Minton tiles depicting mounted knights, king with bird of prey and king offering ring. Sitting Room has marble fireplace with two engaged columns to each side and an adjoining room has a similar fireplace in Sienna marble. Panelled Dining Room has stone fireplace and crenellated overmantel with three arches and ceiling with square and octagonal panels. Former service room has stone fireplace with attached marble colonnettes and Minton tiles rescued from the demolished chapel. Service staircase with stick balusters and chamfered newel post with ball finials. Eight panelled doors throughout and some stone fireplaces with cast iron firegrates to upper floors. Aymer Valiance was an important national figure in conservation, being a close associate of William Morris, the restorer of Stoneacre at Otham and editor of Archaeologia Cantiana.
Listing NGR: TQ9445960581
Sources and further reading
--- Scheduling record: English Heritage. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest
Census Records for Aymers
Thomas William Vallance, born 16th April 1829, Sittingbourne. Son of Thomas Tonge & Sarah Vallance.
Married Catherine Richardson __________
Children:
- James Harcourt Aymer - chr. 27 May 1863, Doddington, Kent
- Henry Osborne Aymer - chr. 21st September 1864, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover
Married Annie Roper Finlay (b. 1878, dau. of Washington Finlay) on19th October 1897 in Linstead. - Kate Julie - chr. 20th June 1866, St. Mary the Virgin, Dover
Married Thomas Robert Maddison (b1857), 9th October 1890, Linstead, Kent - Mary Florence Violet - chr. 15th April 1872, Linstead, Kent.
Married Thomas Masters Usborne (31 yrs old, son of Thomas Usborne), on 19th January 1898 in Linstead
| 1926 | Male | Female | Occupation | Born | ||||
| AYMERS LODGE | ||||||||
| White | William | |||||||
| Clapson | Frederick | |||||||
| 1911 | ||||||||
| AYMERS LODGE | ||||||||
| White | William | Head | 59 | Married | Gardener, Domestic | Little Marlow, Buckingham-shire | ||
| White | Sarah Ann | Wife | 58 | Married | 8, living | Wooburn, Buckingham-shire | ||
| White | Ethel Mary | Daughter | 23 | Single | Elementary Teacher, Kent County Council | Lynsted, Kent | ||
| White | 22 | Single | Elementary Teacher, Kent County Council | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| AYMERS | ||||||||
| Vallance | Catherine Richardson | Head | 68 | Widow | 6 children | Private Means | Spondon, Derbyshire | |
| Osborne | Catherine M Dilano | Friend | 71 | Single | Private Means | Hadley, Middlesex | ||
| Dartnell | James | Butler | 62 | Widower | Butler, Servant | Maidstone, Kent | ||
| Rutter | Rosealine Ruth | Cook | 22 | Single | Servant | Bellbroughton, Worcester-shire | ||
| Hill | Alice | House maid | 41 | Single | Housemaid | Devonport, Devon | ||
| Whitehead | Alice Mary | Kitchen maid | 20 | Single | Kitchenmaid, Servant | Conyer, Kent | ||
| Thomas | Alice | Under housemaid | 19 | Single | Under housemaid, Servant | Rodmersham, Kent | ||
| Rose | Ellen Gertrude | Kennel-maid | 34 | Single | Housmaid, Servant | New Brompton | ||
| AYMERS (Rooms over Stables) | ||||||||
| Moore | G | Head | 74 | 3 children | Coachman, Domestic | Graveney, Kent | ||
| Moore | Emma | Wife | 65 | Bapchild, Kent | ||||
| Hollingsbee | Frank | Boarder | 25 | Groom, Domestic | Sellen, Kent | |||
| 1901 | ||||||||
| AYMERS LODGE | ||||||||
| White | William | Head | 48 | Married | Gardener, Domestic | Marlow, Buckingham-shire | ||
| White | Sarah Ann | Wife | 47 | |||||
| White | Herbert J | Son | 15 | Apprentice Carpenter | Lynsted, Kent | |||
| White | Ethel M | Daughter | 13 | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| White | George A | Son | 12 | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| White | Ernest H | Son | 9 | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| AYMERS (Stables) | ||||||||
| Moore | George | Head | 62 | Coachman, Domestic | Graveney, Kent | |||
| Lee | Frank | Boarder | 22 | Groom | Cranleigh, Surrey | |||
| AYMERS | ||||||||
| Vallance | Thomas | Head | 72 | Army. Own Means. Magistrate | Sittingbourne, Kent | |||
| Vallance | Catherine | Wife | 57 | Spondon, Derby | ||||
| Usborne | Audrey | Grand-daughter | 10 month | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| D-Osborne | Catherine | Cousins | 60 | Hadley, Middlesex | ||||
| Pettitt | Arthur | Servant | 26 | Butler, Domestic | Iden, Sussex | |||
| Phillips | Mary | Servant | 50 | Nurse, Domestic | Pembroke, Kent | |||
| Hills | Alice | Servant | 31 | Housemaid, Domestic | Devonport, Devon | |||
| Saddleton | Jane | Servant | 22 | Housemaid, Domestic | Milton, Sittingbourne, Kent | |||
| Vigar | Ellen | Servant | 33 | Cook, Domestic | Redhill, Surrey | |||
| Nix | Florence | Servant | 20 | Kitchen maids, Domestic | Greenstreet, Kent | |||
| 1891 | ||||||||
| AYMERS LODGE | ||||||||
| White | William | Head | 38 | Married | Gardener, Domestic | Little Marlow, Buckingham-shire | ||
| White | Sarah Ann | Wife | 37 | Woburn, Buckingham-shire | ||||
| White | William J | Son | 9 | Scholar | Lynsted, Kent | |||
| White | Herbert J | Son | 5 | Scholar | Lynsted, Kent | |||
| White | Ethel M | Daughter | 3 | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| White | George A | Son | 2 | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| White | Percy | Son | 8 | Scholar | Lynsted, Kent | |||
| AYMERS | ||||||||
| Vallance | Thomas W | Head | 62 | J.P., Farmer, Retired Captain, 5th Lancers | Sittingbourne, Kent | |||
| Vallance | Catherine Richardson | Wife | 48 | Spondon, Derby | ||||
| Maddison | Kate J | Daughter | 24 | Dover, Kent | ||||
| Vallance | Mary F D | Daughter | 19 | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| D-Osborne | Catherine | Visitor | 51 | Hadley, Middlesex | ||||
| Wratten | Eliza | Servant | 58 | Cook, Domestic Servant | Detling, Kent | |||
| Bailey | Ann | Servant | 22 | Kitchen Maid Servant | Chatham, Kent | |||
| 'Nethley' | Sarah | Servant | 20 | House Maid | Tillington, Sussex | |||
| Marsh | Elizabeth | Servant | 19 | House Maid | Shorne, Kent | |||
| AYMERS Coach House | ||||||||
| Moore | George | Head | 52 | Coachman, Servant | Graveney, Kent | |||
| Moore | Emma | Wife | 45 | Bapchild, Kent | ||||
| Moore | Florence | Daughter | 17 | Lynsted, Kent | ||||
| Moore | Arthur | Son | 14 | Gardener, Domestic Servant | Lynsted, Kent | |||
| Oates | William | Boarder | 15 | Groom, Domestic Servant | Lynsted, Kent | |||
| 1881 | ||||||||
| AYMERS LODGE | ||||||||
| White | William | Head | 28 | Gardener, Jobbing | Little Marlow, Buckingham-shire | |||
| White | Sarah | Wife | 27 | Woburn, Buckingham-shire | ||||
| Spicer | George | Lodger | 31 | Gardener, Jobbing | Canterbury, Kent | |||
| AYMERS | ||||||||
| Vallance | Thomas | Head | 48 | Banker & Farmer (50 Acres)(3 men, 2 boys) | Sittingbourne, Kent | |||
| Vallance | Catherine | Wife | 30 | Derby | ||||
| Vallance | William | Son | 19 | Scholar | Kinsington | |||
| Vallance | Kate | Daughter | 14 | Scholar | Dover, Kent | |||
| Vallance | Mary | Daughter | 9 | Scholar | Lynsted, Kent | |||
| Vallance | Wilfred | Son | 4 | Scholar | Lynsted, Kent | |||
| Cock | Stephen | Servant | 38 | Butler, Domestic Servant | Lydden, Kent | |||
| Mannell | Mary | Servant | 40 | Cook, Domestic Servant | Church Knowlton, Dorset | |||
| James | Sarah | Servant | 31 | Housemaid | Patching, Sussex | |||
| Capinan | Mary | Servant | 22 | Under housemaid | Huish, Somerset | |||
| Hughes | Kate | Servant | 18 | Kitchen maid, Domestic | Maidstone, Kent | |||
| Blower | Clara | Servant | 23 | Nurse | Lapperton, Cirencester | |||
| 1871 | ||||||||
| AYMERS LODGE | ||||||||
| Stone | Thomas H | Head | 31 | Butler, Domestic Servant | Richmond, Surrey | |||
| Stone | Elizabeth | Wife | 30 | Dressmaker | Hereford | |||
| AYMERS | ||||||||
| Vallance | Thomas William | Head | 37 | Banker, Landowner, Retired Captain Cavalry | Farringdon, Berks | |||
| Vallance | Catherine R | Wife | 28 | Derby | ||||
| Vallance | Henry A A | Son | 6 | Dover, Kent | ||||
| Vallance | Kate J | Daughter | 5 | Dover, Kent | ||||
| D-Osborne | Catherine M | Visitor | 31 | Finchley, Middlesex | ||||
| Hougham | Jane | Servant | 39 | Cook Domestic | Broadstairs, Kent | |||
| Crayden | Eliza | Servant | 22 | Housemaid, Domestic | Rodmersham, Kent | |||
| Brenchley | Eliza | Servant | 19 | Nurse, Domestic | Sittingbourne, Kent | |||
| Roberts | Maria | Servant | 16 | Kitchen maid, Domestic | Not Known | |||
| Vaubis | Josephine | Servant | 22 | Children's Maid, Domestic | Brussels, Belgium | |||
| AYMERS (Stables) | ||||||||
| Moore | George | 32 | Coachman, Domestic Servant | Graveney, Kent | ||||
| Moore | Emma | 25 | Bapchild, Kent | |||||
| Moore | Henry G | 5 | Scholar | Teynham, Kent | ||||
| 1861 | ||||||||
| Vallance | Thomas William | Visitor, Hotel in 53-55 Jermyn St. |
28 | Captain in 5th Lancers | Sittingbourne, Kent |