Knowlton Court

Catalogue No. C0254
Dates of Construction: 1912
Location: Kent, England
Client: Elmer Speed
Purpose of Building:Houses
Category:Single
Historic England Listing Number:1070291
[1336977]
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Number:

Lodge of 1912 by Lutyens at Knowlton Court, a single-storey-and-attic red-brick gatehouse in English bond with gabled, parapeted two-storey central porch, brick-mullioned windows, round-arched doorway and a dominant central stack, built alongside his contemporaneous work on the finely carved, Grinling Gibbons–inspired ballroom in the main house.

Description

A lodge has recently been built by Mr. Lutyens, who likewise presided over the decoration of a handsome ball-room, to which we shall presently refer…The most striking room in the house is certainly the ball-room, and its emptiness enables its merits to produce their best effect. The decoration of this room was done under the direction of Mr. Lutyens. Our illustration renders a description of it unnecessary. Neither the wood- work nor the ceiling is old, though old types have been followed. The carving, in the style of Grinling Gibbons, is charmingly designed and excellently carried out. There is just enough of it to give a sense of finish and lightness to the severe simplicity of the lines of the panelling…Over the mantelpiece is a splendidly carved Royal arms, copied with admirable spirit from a similar ornament in the neighbouring church. The moulded ceiling repeats a well known example in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The heraldic glass in the windows is said to have been taken out of the church, its place there having been taken by glass commemorative of the D’Aeth family. (Conway, 1916, pp.534-540)

GOODNESTONE KNOWLTON TR 25 SE 3/72 Lodge to Knowlton Court 5.6.73 II Lodge.1912. Sir Edwin Lutyens. Red brick in English Bond with plain tiled roof. One storey and attic with projecting central 2 storey porch. Moulded kneelered parapet gables, and large stack to centre rear with 4 moulded flues, and with window in rear elevation. Two light brick mullioned window in central porch, with 4 light brick mullioned windows to left and to right with central boarded door in round headed door with label. (Historic England, list entry 1070291)

Bibliography

CONWAY, M., 1916. COUNTRY HOMES GARDENS OLD & NEW: KNOWLTON COURT, KENT, THE RESIDENCE OF MAJOR ELMER SPEED. Country Life (Archive : 1901 – 2005), 39(1008), pp. 534-540.

Historic England.LODGE TO KNOWLTON COURT. [Online] Available from: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1070291, Weaver, L. (1913) Houses and Gardens by E L Lutyens. London: Country Life.

Butler, A., 1950. The architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens: the Lutyens memorial series. Vol 1: Country Houses, Country Life: London and Scribners: New York.

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