Sitting in the north of the parish of Brenchley and Matfield, close to its border with Paddock Wood lies Moatlands, a property with a long and varied history. It is believed that a house was built at Moatlands in about 1524 during the reign of Henry V111 although there is some evidence to suggest there was a house called Le Moat in Brenchley at least a hundred years prior to that.

According to Kent County Council the original property was demolished and replaced by a 19th century gothic castellated house which is what we seem to see today. During excavation work in 1860 an old oak drawbridge was found when the moat was cleared out.

At the time of the 1861 census John M(arshall) Hooker an architect aged 30, was living at Moatlands. Living with him was his older sister Clara and a servant. Contemporary newspaper reports say that John was a grower of the Brenchley Prolific hop which in August 1861 was reported as the first pocket(sack of hops) of the new season to arrive in London.

In January 1865 livestock including three cart horses, a beautiful brown NAG GELDING, a roan pony, donkey and four milch cows as well as an Alderney cow were put up for sale due to the Estate being sold. Also up for sale were farm implements including those for the hop gardens and stock from the brickyard which included bricks, drain pipes and tiles.

This was followed shortly after, in February 1865, by the sale of the contents of the house including furniture, carpets, beds, bedding, curtains and much more. John Hooker had married in October 1861 and he and his growing young family were moving to Sevenoaks.

Ownership of the property transferred to John Roberto Thomson and by 1866 he was living at Moatlands with his wife Elizabeth and their daughter Florence. The 1871 census describes him as a barrister at law born in London with his wife being born in Bruges. Contemporary reports show that hops were still being grown on the estate during this era.

In 1878 the property was put up for sale. The description of the property was as follows:

“…..a capital residence approached from the high road by carriage drive through a small but beautifully timbered park containing three reception rooms, domestic offices, four principal and four secondary bed chambers, dressing room, bathroom etc. The outbuildings include stabling for six horses and a double coach house with groom’s room over. There are many fine springs on the higher part of the estate one of which now supplies the house with water which could by gravitation and at small cost fill the cistern at the top of the house. The pleasure gardens are extensive and adorned with fine shrubs and timber trees, beside sheets of ornamental water well stocked with fish while in the park is a fine avenue of fir trees”. Adjacent to this were hop gardens and woodland (for shooting).

The Estate passed to Edward Bean/es and his family. Edward Beanes previously lived on Dulwich Common in London. He called himself a ‘gentleman and landed proprietor’ in the 1871 Census return but he had apparently spent a large part of his life in Cuba as a salesman and engineer working on sugar refining. The firm of Ross & Beanes, of 1 New Broad Street Court in the City of London, was well known as an agent for various British manufacturers of refining equipment. His many patents included ‘improvements to sugar refining by neutralising acids of cane juice’ and ‘improvements in brewing and treating fermented liquors’.

The property was occupied in 1881 by Edward and Julia Beanes, four of their children and five servants. Edward and Julia were to live at Moatlands for the rest of their lives.

Edward made the decision in the 1880s to stop growing hops and in 1888 he sold off 48000 hop poles with the land being turned over to fruit farming.

Sadly in 1909 Julia, who was in her 80s, died. In December 1910 it was reported in the newspapers that the Bishop of Rochester had dedicated a stained glass window in Brenchley Church that occupied almost the whole east wall of the chancel. This was erected by Mr Edward Beanes in memory of his wife.

Only a few months later on 19 August 1911 Edward Beanes died at Moatlands in his 95th year.

Yet again the property was put on the market. Its future in the 20th century was to include being a maternity home, a golf course and a country club.

The private home of a generous man that was to become a hospital, golf course, wedding venue and night club

John Herbert Podmore who lived at Moatlands was well known for generosity in the surrounding areas. For example he donated the Podmore building, originally as a pavilion on St Andrews field on Church Road but now home to the Town Council in Paddock Wood. He was present for the unveiling of the War Memorial in Paddock Wood on 7th January 1921 and was one of the founders of the Paddock Wood Lodge of Freemasons consecrated later that year on 5th November at the Parochial Hall. Membership soon increased and by April 1924 new premises were required. Mr Podmore played a key role and agreed to personally make up the difference between subscriptions and full costs required.

The Masonic Hall Maidstone Road Paddock Wood behind what was the Railway Hotel ©

The foundation stone was laid for a new Masonic Hall in February 1925. Its purpose was threefold, a new village hall for dances, concerts and meetings that included a licensed mens’ club as well as an area (Temple) for Masonic activities.

Tragically Mr Podmore lost a daughter aged only 23. He died in 1940.

The British Hospital for Mothers and Babies was once situated in Woolwich London. It came to Moatlands in 1940.

Young mothers feeding the ducks with a nurse at Moatlands Paddock Wood ©

Three young midwives, Miss Alice Gregory, Mrs Lelia Parnell and Miss Maud Cashmere, founded the Home for Mothers and Babies. It opened in 1905. Their objectives were to allow pregnant women to be attended by trained nurses and to promote and lengthen the training of midwives. The Home originally had 8 beds, but midwives also attended patients in their own homes. Patients only paid according to their means. By 1936 there were 72 beds.

Known locally as the 'Wood Street Home', its motto was 'Esto sol testis' (let the sun be my witness).

During 1940 (WW2) a bomb fell on the corner of a ward, completely destroying half of it. At the time the nursing staff, 60 patients and 56 babies had been put in the basement but they had to be evacuated. The Ministry of Health provided beds at a house in Chesham, Bucks, and some were moved there. After five months however the hospital moved to Moatlands, which at the time remained privately owned.

By August 1941 there were 36 beds with an average of 50 babies born each month. Moatlands was finally purchased in 1945 because repairs to the original bomb-damaged hospital were taking so long to complete.

Moatlands was sold again in 1953 and by 1993 it had become a golf course. This was Japanese owned and the facility stretched over the beautiful rolling countryside between Brenchley and Paddock Wood. At the time golf courses were popular and many were being created as developers and investors sought to invest in the popular sport.

Moatlands was described as a magnificent layout, and seemingly had bright future however, in spite of all that it closed in 2008 and the house and land remains in private ownership today (2022).

During its time Moatlands also had a night club and was also a popular wedding venue.

We can probably assume John H Podmore would have approved.

Moatlands Paddock Wood

Dorothy Dickens

Memorial Pavilion