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Penshurst Place, Kent

Penshurst Place

The first recorded owner of Penshurst Place was a thirteenth century royal servant named Stephen de Penchester. About fifty years after the first mention of de Penchester, a London merchant, and four times mayor of London John de Pulteney built a house at Penshurst, wanting a country residence within easy riding distance of London. The Baron's Hall, dating to 1341, with its sixty foot high ceiling and octagonal central hearth survives from that time. This is where the servants and estate workers lived. The Lord of the Manor lived upstairs in the Solar, which survives as The State Dining Room. The medieval house is one of the most complete examples of fourteenth century domestic architecture surviving in its original location.

The house is then recorded as being owned by John, Duke of Bedford, Henry the Fourth's third son. The hall known as the Buckingham Building was probably built by John. The house then passed to Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, who founded the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and then to a series of three Dukes of Buckingham. The third Duke did his best to keep Henry the Eighth happy with lavish hospitality at Penshurst, but that did not stop Henry executing the third duke in 1521. Henry took over ownership of Penshurst, and it was his son Edward the Sixth who gave the house to his friend and supporter Sir Henry Sidney in 1522. The death of Edward the Sixth brought the Catholic Mary Tudor to the throne, which must have made the Protestant Sidney's vulnerable, but using the adaptability so crucial to surviving during these times, the Sidney family held onto Penshurst. In fact Sir Henry's son Philip Sidney was godson to Mary's husband Philip of Spain. Philip Sidney was to become a courtier of Queen Elizabeth following Mary's death, and the most influential poet of his time. Philip wrote a book called In Defence of Poesy in which he foresaw poetry playing an important role in society generally. Sadly Philip died young of a gun shot injury in the Netherlands in 1585, and did not live quite long enough to see the work of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Nashe, and Jonson.

In exploring the Tudor period of Philip Sidney, go to the Queen Elizabeth Room, where the Queen would hold audiences on her frequent visits to Penshurst. The Long Gallery, where family portraits are displayed is Elizabethan in age. Penshurst has put together educational resource packs on the Tudor period and on Philip Sidney. Penshurst also has links with the nineteenth century poet Bysshe Shelley, who was a relative, and great admirer, of Philip Sidney. In the Nether Gallery there are a few items that belonged to Sidney. I foundthe small frangment of his shaving mirror the most affecting.

The Garden

The Italian Garden

The eleven acre formal walled garden is much as it was when first laid out by Henry Sidney in the sixteenth century. As such the garden is a very unusual survivor. This is one of the oldest gardens in private ownership anywhere in the world. Look out for the Italian Garden which was the centrepiece of Henry Sidney's garden. Records for the formal garden at Penshurst actually date back to 1346.

 

With ups and downs of fortune Penshurst has remained in the hands of the Sidney family. Today the estate is owned by William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle.

Penshurst Place is an excellent place for a family to visit. There is an exciting adventure playground, and good dining facilities. There is also a toy museum, which includes toys played with by generations of Sidney children.

Opening Times: The house and gardens are open weekends only from 1st March and then daily from 21st March to 2nd November. The grounds are open 10.30am - 6pm, the house is open 12 midday - 4pm.

Directions: Leave the M25 at junction 5 and follow the A21to Tonbridge. Leave the A21 at Hildenborough and follow the brown tourist signs. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on Penshurst Place.

Access: wheelchair access is only possible to the first level of the house. Virtual tours of other areas are available. The Toy Museum can only be reached via five steps. The gardens are fully accessible. The Garden Tea Room and the shop are both accessible. For people with sight difficulties there are large print guides available from the Baron's Hall steward.

Contact:

telephone: 00 44 (0)1892 870307

web site: http://www.penshurstplace.com/home.html