Thanks for the tip off from a member we went to visit this place a few weeks back. It’s wrecked inside now, we spent a while hiding from a bloke we thought was security before realising he was a metal fairy. We scared him when we came out of hiding. Had a lovely chat with him and did our thing. This place has been left open to the elements and we didn’t stay upstairs for long as the floors weren’t safe. It’s amazing how open it is, loads of entry points. There was some beautiful features in what used to be the house.
History -
About three quarters of a mile south-eastward lies the manor of HALL, with the seat called Hall place, which, in the 36th of Edward III., was the patrimony of Thomas Champneis, who that year conveyed a part to Sir John Wroth, of Enfield, who had been lord mayor of London in the 34th of that reign. He, in the 2d of Richard IIl, alienated his interest to Sir Thomas Lovell, who purchased the remaining part of this estate of Robert Champneis, and thus became possessed of the whole. His feoffee in trust conveyed this manor, with Hall place, in the 11th of Henry IV., to Thomas Theobald, or Tybold, in which family it remained till John Theobald, in the 27th of Henry VII., alienated it to William Porter, whose family it seems to have had some property here before, as, in the 10th of Edward IV., John Alphey released by deed his right in Hall place to William Porter esq.
This estate remained in the descendants of that family to Mr. Andrew Porter, who leaving a daughter, she carried it in marriage, under Charles I., to Peter Stowell; after which it was sold to one Thompson, in which name it continued for several generations, till Mr. T. Thompson sold it, in 1781, to John Frederic, duke of Dorset, who owned the same.
This mansion is very pleasantly situated upon an eminence, a distantance about one mile and a half from the city of Canterbury. The manor of Hall, from which it takes his name, was for many generations owned by the family of Beverley, who, from their long residence here, added their own to it. They removed from hence to Fordwich; William Beverley, esq., of that place, leaving an only daughter and heir Beatrix, she carried the manor of Hall and Beverley with its appendages, in marriage to Thomas Norton, esq. and his grandson Thomas, about the middle of the reign of Elizabeth, sold it to Merseday, whose descendant in the time of king Charles I. conveyed it to Richardson, and one of them in the following reign to Mr. George Cornish, merchant of London, and he, not many years afterwards, to Mr. Joseph Roberts, whose grandson William dying in 1746 unmarried, devised this estate by will to his half-sister Mary, who first married to Edward Wollet, esq. by whom she had a sole daughter Mary; and secondly to Thomas Fisher, esq. of Repton, in Derbyshire, by whom she had no issue; each of whom she intitled to her possession. She survived them both, and by her will devised it to her daughter Mary, who carried it in marriage to Robert Mead Wilmot, esq. afterwards, on the decease of his father in 1787, a baronet, of Chaddesden, in the county of Derby, after whose death it was conveyed by lease for seven yars to George Gipps, esq. of Canterbury, representative for that city in the present and two preceeding parliaments, who now resides here.
This seat for many years was the residence of the late general William Belford, colonel of the first battalion of the royal regiment of artillery, whose great skill and experience raised him to that elevated rank in his profession. His immediate successor, Mr. Wilmot, considerably enlarged and improved the building and plantations, which are still receiving further improvements by the present occupier. The situation is romatic and beautiful; and from the house and gardens are chaming prospects of the surrounding highly cultivated country, abounding in pasture, corn and hops.
1823 - September 24th. The wife of Farmer Baily, esq. Hall-place, Kent, a son.
1829 - At Hall-place, Kent, the lady of col. M'Creagh, a son
Death, November 21, 1844. At Hall-place, Harbledown, near Canterbury, aged 73, Mrs. Webb, widow of Col. Webb. The Gentlemen's Magazine January, 1845
Death June 13th, at Hall-place, Harbledown, near Canterbury, aged 78, Willis John Webb, esq. brother of the late Col. Webb. The Gentlemen's Magazine, 1847
On the left, on the London Road, at Harbledown, is Hall Place, with its fine trees and grounds, the seat of the benevolent Miss Webb. 1860
Jemima Belford was the daughter of Colonel William Belford, eldest son of General Belford of the artillery, of Hall Place, Harbledown, near Canterbury; by Mary his wife second daughter of Thomas Jones, Esq. of East Wickham in the county of Kent, and his wife Martha only child and heiress of Charles Pelham, Esq. of the family of the Dukes of Newcastle. "Life of General Sir Robert Wilson" 1862
1873 (return of owners of land, 1873) T. G. PECKHAM, Hall Place, Harbledown, Canterbury
Acres. 140, 2, 2
Rent 485 0
June 7, 1883 - Mr. Peckham's beautiful place at Hall Place, Harbledown, looked lovely in the delightful afternoon sun. The flowering trees and shrubs were in great beauty, the spring bedding was still fresh and bright, while the glorious foliage of the trees was a picture in itself. The Roses here, too, which were many of them on low standards, were looking well, and, with the care bestowed on them by a good gardener, who has, however, a great deal of other matters to look after, will, I should think, make a mark this year. From this to the small and noted garden of the "Harbledown Giant," as my friend Mr. Biron calls him (he is a little man), is but a step, and here too, again, progress is the order of the day - progress as far as numbers are concerned; but whether he will make much advance upon his wonderful success of last year is doubtful.
1887 Thomas Gilbert Peckham, Esq, Hall Place, Harbledown, Canterbury (Archaeologia Cantiana)
1898 Thomas Gilbert Peckham, Esq., Hall Place, Harbledown, Canterbury
The property was last used as an enterprise centre as part of Canterbury Christ Church University.
History -
About three quarters of a mile south-eastward lies the manor of HALL, with the seat called Hall place, which, in the 36th of Edward III., was the patrimony of Thomas Champneis, who that year conveyed a part to Sir John Wroth, of Enfield, who had been lord mayor of London in the 34th of that reign. He, in the 2d of Richard IIl, alienated his interest to Sir Thomas Lovell, who purchased the remaining part of this estate of Robert Champneis, and thus became possessed of the whole. His feoffee in trust conveyed this manor, with Hall place, in the 11th of Henry IV., to Thomas Theobald, or Tybold, in which family it remained till John Theobald, in the 27th of Henry VII., alienated it to William Porter, whose family it seems to have had some property here before, as, in the 10th of Edward IV., John Alphey released by deed his right in Hall place to William Porter esq.
This estate remained in the descendants of that family to Mr. Andrew Porter, who leaving a daughter, she carried it in marriage, under Charles I., to Peter Stowell; after which it was sold to one Thompson, in which name it continued for several generations, till Mr. T. Thompson sold it, in 1781, to John Frederic, duke of Dorset, who owned the same.
This mansion is very pleasantly situated upon an eminence, a distantance about one mile and a half from the city of Canterbury. The manor of Hall, from which it takes his name, was for many generations owned by the family of Beverley, who, from their long residence here, added their own to it. They removed from hence to Fordwich; William Beverley, esq., of that place, leaving an only daughter and heir Beatrix, she carried the manor of Hall and Beverley with its appendages, in marriage to Thomas Norton, esq. and his grandson Thomas, about the middle of the reign of Elizabeth, sold it to Merseday, whose descendant in the time of king Charles I. conveyed it to Richardson, and one of them in the following reign to Mr. George Cornish, merchant of London, and he, not many years afterwards, to Mr. Joseph Roberts, whose grandson William dying in 1746 unmarried, devised this estate by will to his half-sister Mary, who first married to Edward Wollet, esq. by whom she had a sole daughter Mary; and secondly to Thomas Fisher, esq. of Repton, in Derbyshire, by whom she had no issue; each of whom she intitled to her possession. She survived them both, and by her will devised it to her daughter Mary, who carried it in marriage to Robert Mead Wilmot, esq. afterwards, on the decease of his father in 1787, a baronet, of Chaddesden, in the county of Derby, after whose death it was conveyed by lease for seven yars to George Gipps, esq. of Canterbury, representative for that city in the present and two preceeding parliaments, who now resides here.
This seat for many years was the residence of the late general William Belford, colonel of the first battalion of the royal regiment of artillery, whose great skill and experience raised him to that elevated rank in his profession. His immediate successor, Mr. Wilmot, considerably enlarged and improved the building and plantations, which are still receiving further improvements by the present occupier. The situation is romatic and beautiful; and from the house and gardens are chaming prospects of the surrounding highly cultivated country, abounding in pasture, corn and hops.
1823 - September 24th. The wife of Farmer Baily, esq. Hall-place, Kent, a son.
1829 - At Hall-place, Kent, the lady of col. M'Creagh, a son
Death, November 21, 1844. At Hall-place, Harbledown, near Canterbury, aged 73, Mrs. Webb, widow of Col. Webb. The Gentlemen's Magazine January, 1845
Death June 13th, at Hall-place, Harbledown, near Canterbury, aged 78, Willis John Webb, esq. brother of the late Col. Webb. The Gentlemen's Magazine, 1847
On the left, on the London Road, at Harbledown, is Hall Place, with its fine trees and grounds, the seat of the benevolent Miss Webb. 1860
Jemima Belford was the daughter of Colonel William Belford, eldest son of General Belford of the artillery, of Hall Place, Harbledown, near Canterbury; by Mary his wife second daughter of Thomas Jones, Esq. of East Wickham in the county of Kent, and his wife Martha only child and heiress of Charles Pelham, Esq. of the family of the Dukes of Newcastle. "Life of General Sir Robert Wilson" 1862
1873 (return of owners of land, 1873) T. G. PECKHAM, Hall Place, Harbledown, Canterbury
Acres. 140, 2, 2
Rent 485 0
June 7, 1883 - Mr. Peckham's beautiful place at Hall Place, Harbledown, looked lovely in the delightful afternoon sun. The flowering trees and shrubs were in great beauty, the spring bedding was still fresh and bright, while the glorious foliage of the trees was a picture in itself. The Roses here, too, which were many of them on low standards, were looking well, and, with the care bestowed on them by a good gardener, who has, however, a great deal of other matters to look after, will, I should think, make a mark this year. From this to the small and noted garden of the "Harbledown Giant," as my friend Mr. Biron calls him (he is a little man), is but a step, and here too, again, progress is the order of the day - progress as far as numbers are concerned; but whether he will make much advance upon his wonderful success of last year is doubtful.
1887 Thomas Gilbert Peckham, Esq, Hall Place, Harbledown, Canterbury (Archaeologia Cantiana)
1898 Thomas Gilbert Peckham, Esq., Hall Place, Harbledown, Canterbury
The property was last used as an enterprise centre as part of Canterbury Christ Church University.
