Boughton Malherbe

Stone Barns at Boughton Place, Boughton 
Malherbe

This site is steeped in English History and 
was home to the Wotton family who were 
knights of the realm dating back to 
Richard II's time. The most famous of the 
great Wotton family was Sir Henry Wotton 
who served at the courts of Queen 
Elizabeth I and James I. 

Henry was also a close associate of the ill-fated Earl of Essex. He was born and brought up at Boughton Place which was at that time known as Bocton Hall and he returned there through out his life to rest and recuperate.

The house was at that time the finest in Kent and was a courtyard house entirely built from Stone. Elizabeth I visited on several occasions. In later years the house was much reduced in size and some of the stone from the demolition was used to build the low stone barns.The current house is named Boughton Place and is Grade 1 Listed. The main barn has spectacular views over the weald of Kent and, on a clear day to the sea. This barn was a much later addition and constructed in 1837. 

It was beautifully and expensively constructed of local stone dressed in to courses with a Georgian pitched slate roof and large overhanging eaves. Stone barns of this quality are very rare in Kent, such quality reflects the importance of their location adjacent to Bougthon Place.