Ovenden house, sundridge kent

[carolanne27]

I am looking for information on this house built around 1745 and bombed in 1941 it was never rebuilt and only garden wall remains.It is on the south west side of chevening park and was the former dower house to lady stanhope.The last occupant was lord william plender baron of sundridge.I have found a poor black and white image it was a magnificant place even with poor imagery and the only other info i can find is a panphlet produced in 1941 on the auction of goods sold after the bombing.Many items were sold out of it inc mirrors antiques so Im curious as into why it was never rebuilt seeing as it was steeped in history being the residence of many high sheriffs of kent.

Any info on the house, area or family names mentioned above will be greatly appreciated. I have challenged people who have told me they will be able to find out and nothing as of yet so it really is a mystery.

[Ruskie]

Have you tried the archives or library closest to where the house was located? Or perhaps a local history group?

Why was it not rebuilt? My theories, though I am only guessing ....  it would have cost too much to rebuild especially post war with money, building materials and resources required to rebuild essential services and buildings; grand houses were 'a dying breed' (look at how many were demolished during the 50's, 60's and beyond) - they could not support themselves and to some extent the class system of wealthy landowners with huge estates was 'breaking down'; no one could afford their upkeep. The land may have been sold off to form part of another estate. It would have been out of the question to rebuild. The history surrounding it would have been irrelevant I'm afraid, and once it wass lost it couldn't be replaced anyway I suppose. Very very sad but true I'm afraid ....

Is there someone in particular you are researching? Is there a specific interest you have in the house.

I have located the house on 'old maps', and I see that there is still a grand house, Chevening House, not too far From Ovenden House. It appears to be a lot larger than Ovenden was.

[carolanne27]

hi thank you for your message. I have tried the local libraries the only other place i have left to try is centre of kentish studies but they are in the middle of moving location so unreachable til april.I am not holding my breath though as I have come across other people searching for info on same topic from 8 years ago and there search appeared to go on for 3 years and they knew less than me.I agree with your theory on costs of rebuilding and them disregarding its history but this house was owned by the chevening estate earl stanhope the house meant alot to them as it was there mothers house where she died and lived for 25 years also have found odd crypted sights and references to questions regarding suspicion over the damage and its cause.Also all other properties in the area that were bombed are evident in some way on the net houses with much less history.Also the british listed buildings sight have written that another property in the area was the dower house of cheveing and this is not true at all.All seems a bit odd to me!

[Ruskie]

It appears to have an interesting history.

Have you researched the families fortunes around that time and later, in case there is some indication of debts for example, which may explain why they didn't rebuild?

If they were elderly there would probably not have been much point in rebuilding - maybe they just moved away - maybe they owned houses elsewhere if they were wealthy.

You say the house was bombed? I initially assumed this was a result of enemy action during the war. You are implying that there was something suspicious about this 'bombing' - what leads you to believe this? Perhaps the reason that there is not so much information about this house compared to others in the area, is simply down to less interest or knowledge about it, fewer surviving family members or any number of reasons .... why do you think it is odd that there is little information about the house?

Do you have a direct association with the house? I am just wondering how you know things such as how much the house meant to the family?

[Ruskie]

As an indication of how many "country houses" have been lost, see here:
http://lh.matthewbeckett.com/lh_complete_list.html

Your Ovenden House is not included in the list. I am even wondering if it was too small to be mentioned among all the huge grand houses, all of which wil have fascinating histories attached to them, which have been destroyed? 

[carolanne27]

it had a ground 1st and 2nd floor inc basement it had two wings added to the rear it was bo no means small and the stanhopes were far from poor. The house was bombed during the second world war but my suspicion surrounds the damage to the house i may be wrong but i believe you require permission to demolish a building so if the damage was so minamal that lord plenders antiques were so for thousands i dont see how it wasnt worth rebuilding unless it benifited someone in some way if it wasnt there at all!

[Ruskie]

Apparently there is a photo of it in the Centre for Kentish Studies.

I understand that the house may not have been small, but looking at the size of it on old maps, compared to the size of the nearby Chevening House, it appears to have been considerably smaller.

Have you considered the fact that the family may have had debts, which is why the contents were sold and the house was not rebuilt?

Whether or not you needed permission to demolish during war time I'm afraid I don't know, but I would suspect that they may not have needed permission. There were plenty of more pressing things for everyone to be worrying about at the time.

You are being a bit cryptic - who do you think may have benefitted from the house being demolished?

I suppose you have to look at this is context, and look at the events and attitudes of the time, rather that applying the values we have today on all of this. 

[Ruskie]

Not sure if this is somewhere you have already looked:

Family and Estates records held at Kent History and Library Centre:


http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=051-stanhopeu1590&cid=0#0

(am a bit confused ... I got that off A2A but I think estate records are at the Centre for Kentish studies")

[carolanne27]

yes i know that the centre of kent studies will help but they are closed until april moving premises and im not holding out as i say other people have tried to research it s story but a picture is the best they come up with I would like to know more of its entire history which i think regrettably will be in chevening house.