Surrey Homes | SH30 | April 2017 |Gardens supplement inside

Above: The dining room is in fact the oldest in the
house Right: A corner of the downstairs bathroom
also something they like to share with others, through their
work with local charity, the Gardening for Disabled Trust.
“We get so much pleasure from gardening ourselves it makes
you realise how awful it must be if you can’t do it anymore,”
says Jane. “Through the charity, we try to inspire people to
do what they can with whatever financial support we can
give them.” The Trust, which was formed 48 years ago, is a
voluntary organisation, based in the Weald of Kent, which
gives grants to people all over the United Kingdom to help
them continue to garden, despite disability or advancing
illness. Jane has just sent out invitations for the plant fair they
are hosting at the end of this month [April], where about 20
specialist growers are expected to attend and visitors get a rare
glimpse of this very special garden. “It’s a lot of fun – and it
helps that we have masses of space for parking,” says Jane.
But, less about the garden, and back to the magnificent house
which, despite its complex history gives the outward impression
of never having changed. “It’s good to hear that, from the front,
it’s as if it has always looked like this. Planning restrictions and
guidelines on a house like this are very strict, so we’ve had to
work within them,” says Jane. Viewed from the front, their
home is an impressive brick, timber and tile-hung Wealden
farmhouse, symmetrical, with two storeys plus attic rooms.
The house dates from the 15th century and was a hall house
in origin, though the original house was destroyed by fire and
rebuilt in the 17th century, when it was pivoted on its axis to
wealdentimes.co.uk
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