Stoneacre

Stoneacre is a half-timbered Wealden hall-house of the 1480s in the village of Otham near Maidstone, built by John Ellys of the family whose relatives gave their name to Ellis Island. The Ellys family sold it in the early 18th century and it passed to farmers and into disrepair until Aymer Vallance took it on in 1920, when his wife called it practically a ruin, and restored it with his architect. Inside are the great hall with its two crown posts and a fireplace bought from a local inn, the solar upstairs with stained-glass panels, and a parlour whose curtains follow a Herbert Horne design; outside, a formal front garden with a ginkgo, a wilder rear garden with an orchard, and the Otham Valley woodland beyond. Dogs on leads are welcome in the garden but not in any of the buildings. Reviewers praise the welcoming volunteers and find the small, dark-oak interior easy to imagine lived in. Tips from visitors: there is no tea-room, so bring a picnic, the car park is in a paddock at the foot of the hill, and it opens only on certain days, so check before setting out.