Godinton House

Godinton House is one of the most important houses in the Kentish parish of Great Chart. It is 2 miles north-west of the center of the town of Ashford, Kent, UK..

Description

Godinton House (a.k.a. "Godinton House and Gardens", a.k.a. "Godinton Park") is an ancient brick house with a Jacobean architecture style exterior. The roof has a distinctive system of shaped gables (also called Dutch or semi-classical gables). The great hall inside is of medieval style. Of particular note is the elaborate carvings in chestnut wood on the main staircase.

The gardens include one of the longest Yew hedges in England.

History

Godinton House was the seat of the Toke family for about 455 years from 1440 to 1895 ¹. The house also has a Steinway piano, which is one of the best pianos in Kent

External links

* [http://www.godinton-house-gardens.co.uk/ Official website: Godinton House and Gardens]

References

1.) "Godinton Park" (tourist brochure) 1985, Introduction by Christopher Hussey, Pub. English Life Publications Ltd., Derby E.80ISBN 0 85101 161 6

Further reading

*"The Account Book of a Kentish Estate 1616-1704", Edited by Eleanor Constance Lodge (1927). This book features a comprehensive introduction by Eleanor C. Lodge analysing an ancient Toke account book. She describes life at Godinton (and county Kent in general) in the seventeenth century.
*"A Saunter Through Kent with Pen and Pencil", Vol. 2, by Charles Igglesden (1900). Published at the Offices of the Kentish Express, Ashford, Kent. The chapter about Godinton is a unique coverage. It includes fascinating stories, including traditional local gossip, about murder, intrigue, ghosts, secret rooms, and secret passages. The description of the house and garden is beautifully written.
*"Godinton, Kent, the seat of Mr. G. Ashley Dodd" Country Life Magazine, London, July 18, 1903, pp. 90-98.
*"Godinton, Kent, the seat of Mr. George Ashley Dodd" Country Life Magazine, London, May 11, 1907, pp. 666-673.
*"GODINTON PARK, KENT - I, The Home of Mr. Alan Wyndham-Green" By Christopher Hussey, Country Life Magazine, London, December 6, 1962, pp. 1396-1400.
*"GODINTON PARK, KENT - II, The Home of Mr. Alan Wyndham-Green" By Christopher Hussey, Country Life Magazine, London, December 13, 1962, pp. 1546-1549.
*"GODINTON PARK, KENT - III, The Home of Mr. Alan Wyndham-Green" By Christopher Hussey, Country Life Magazine, London, December 20, 1962, pp. 1600-1603.
*"Painted Catalogue" (letter), Country Life Magazine, London, December 27, 1962, page 1662. This letter concerns the famous painting, "The Last Day in the Old Home" (1862) by Robert Braithwaite Martineau. It is on display at the Tate Britain. The setting in this painting is a composite of rooms at Godinton (including Toke family crests).