Halden Place

Description

In 1487 John Guldeford received a licence to 'crenellate the manors or tenements of Halden, Tenterden, Brockle and Hertrigge, in the parishes of Rolvenden, Tenderden, Crambroke and Ebney, co. Kent'. The Halden manor was probable on the site now occupied by the C18 Halden Place, the medieval moat survives. A much defaced stone cartouche of the Guldeford family has been incorporated into the C17 stable block.

SUBORDINATE to the court of the Seven Hundreds is the Manor Of Lambin, alias Halden, which is situated in the north-east part of this parish, and had the former of those names from the antient proprietor of it, Lambin de Langham, who held it by knight's service, as appears by the Testa de Nevil, in the 20th year of Henry III. His descendants continued in the possession of it till the beginning of king Edward III.'s reign, when it went by purchase into the family of Halden, who fixed their name on it, in addition to its former one of Lambin; and William, son of John de Halden, died possessed of it in the 50th year of that reign, and lies buried in the nave of this church. His son John de Halden died in the reign of Henry IV. and was buried near his father, leaving an only daughter and heir Joane, who carried this manor in marriage to William Guldeford, esq. of Hemsted, whose descendants, though they continued possessed of their more antient seat of Hemsted, in the adjoining parish of Benenden, yet removed to this mansion of Halden, and made it their principal residence, and from time to time kept their shrievalties here. At length Sir Richard Guldeford, knight-banneret and of the garter, died possessed of it about the year 1500, leaving by his first wife, two sons, Edward, to whom he gave this manor of Halden; and George, to whom he gave that of Hemsted. (Hasted)

Halden place is now only a large farm house, situated about a mile and a quarter north from the church. The arms of Guldeford still remain, carved in stone, on the stables belonging to it. (Hasted)

Halden Place, Rolvenden, is a 1740 farmhouse, its gardens are surrounded by the remains of the moat of the house first mentioned Hen. III. Part of a possible moat is shown on the O.S.6", 1961, at TR 85093362. The remains comprise three sides of a large homestead moat. The site is on a slope and the missing northern arm would have had to have been very deep to contain water. (Kent HER)