Kemnal Road, Chislehurst

Woodheath Cottage

In 1908 Frank Tiarks had a stable block built on Woodheath’s southern boundary with Meadowcroft. The stables were designed by EJ May, the local architect, who also designed Foxearth, and Webbington House in Axminster for the Tiarks family.

The stables before conversion by Peter Harding

These second stables were built to house his polo ponies, which he exercised in Sturges Fields and on the adjoining Homewood Estate. Frank was a keen polo player, and held regular polo tournaments at Foxbury. The stables had also been used as a home for employees at Foxbury. Mr Anderson, the estate electrician, lived here for a time, but they were in a derelict state when Peter Harding and his wife Sheila bought the stables after their wedding in 1952. (See page 48 for more details on Mr Harding’s life). Photographs taken in 1951 show how dilapidated the stables were, but Mr and Mrs Harding converted them into a homely cottage that until recently survived, surrounded by the newer houses of Queenborough Gardens. It has now been demolished.

However dilapidated the stables were, it does appear that they were occupied; Kenneth and Hilda Tadman lived here through the war years. Arthur Battle also refers to an inhabited property at the time he was writing about (around 1920). He refers to this as the gamekeeper’s cottage, which, he says, was near to the main house. It is likely that he was referring to these stables. The smaller building which can be seen in the map of 1939, but of which there is no trace today, was probably the filter room for Foxbury’s streams and lakes. The original entrance to the polo stables was along the boundary with Meadowcroft, which can be seen in the photograph on page 32. Mr and Mrs Harding also bought a large area of the original gardens of Hoblands, then owned by Foxbury Estates Ltd. This included a sunken garden, an indoor swimming pool, and ponds. Mr Harding and his family cleared the old gardens, and one of Peter’s sons recalls what a wonderful playground it was for growing boys.

Eventually, however, it was difficult to maintain such a large area, and the land was sold for development. Queenborough Gardens was built on the site, with Woodheath Cottage at its centre. However, after Mrs Harding left the house, it was purchased for development, and has been replaced by a large house with less character, but probably greater financial value.

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