Olantigh
Encyclopedia
Olantigh is a property one mile (1.6 km) north of Wye in Kent
, southeast England
. It includes a garden of 20 acres (8 ha). The hamlet in which the property stands is Little Olantigh.
The first known holder of the manor of Olantigh was Ralph Kempe (c.1283–1313). He is also the earliest known ancestor of the Wye Kempes. The theory that the Kempes were descendants of John Kempe, a Flemish
weaver who settled in England under royal protection in 1313 is probably not true, because they were settled at Wye before that time. There are many generations of Kempes down to the present. Many emigrated to the United States
and some were associated to the Digges family of England and the United States. The most famous descendants were John Kemp
(1380–1454), Archbishop of Canterbury
, and Thomas Kempe
, Bishop of London
, nephew of John Kemp (died 1489).
When Sir Thomas Kempe died in 1607, leaving four married daughters, Olantigh was sold to Sir Timothy Thornhill. In 1711, Richard Thornhill, his grandson, became hopelessly involved in drinking and gambling, and Olantigh was purchased in 1720 by Jacob Sawbridge, one of the directors of the South Sea Company, in the year of “The South Sea Bubble”. In 1773, John Sawbridge
, the then ruling squire, became Lord Mayor of London; he extended the mansion. The estate passed down through the Sawbridge family to John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge, on his father's death in 1851. The Member of Parliament for Wareham
1841–57, 1859–65, 1868–80, on 1 May 1827, married Jane Frances Sawbridge Erle-Drax Grosvenor, of Charborough Park, Dorset
, and Ellerton Abbey, Yorkshire
, at St George's Church, Hanover Square
, London
. In December 1903, Olantigh was occupied by Wanley Elias Sawbridge-Erle-Drax, vicar of Almer
, Dorset, when fire gutted the Georgian
mansion.
In 1910, Wanley commissioned architects A. Barnett Brown & Ernest Barrow to design a new house incorporating the original stone portico. Repositioned with the portico 70 feet (21.3 m) from its original position, the new smaller scale red-brick mansion was finished in 1911.
In 1912, the house was let to Mr J. H. Loudon, who redeveloped the gardens, before it was sold to his son, Mr F. W. H. Loudon, in 1935. After World War II
, the house proved too large, and the west wing which provided two-thirds of the accommodation was demolished in the mid-1950s, leaving a house today only a fifth as large as the house it replaced after the 1903 fire.
The garden terraces and stable
block were Grade II listed in 1989.
Still owned today by the Loudon family, the garden beside the Great Stour river
, is open to the public and has a wide variety of trees, providing woodland walks; the gardens themselves have a rockery, a shrubbery, herbaceous border and extensive lawns.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, southeast England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It includes a garden of 20 acres (8 ha). The hamlet in which the property stands is Little Olantigh.
The first known holder of the manor of Olantigh was Ralph Kempe (c.1283–1313). He is also the earliest known ancestor of the Wye Kempes. The theory that the Kempes were descendants of John Kempe, a Flemish
Flemish
Flemish can refer to anything related to Flanders, and may refer directly to the following articles:*Flemish, an informal, though linguistically incorrect, name of any kind of the Dutch language as spoken in Belgium....
weaver who settled in England under royal protection in 1313 is probably not true, because they were settled at Wye before that time. There are many generations of Kempes down to the present. Many emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and some were associated to the Digges family of England and the United States. The most famous descendants were John Kemp
John Kemp
John Kemp was a medieval English cardinal, archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor of England.-Biography:Kemp was son of Thomas Kempe, a gentleman of Ollantigh, in the parish of Wye near Ashford, Kent...
(1380–1454), Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, and Thomas Kempe
Thomas Kempe
Thomas Kempe was a medieval Bishop of London.Kempe was the nephew of John Kemp, Archbishop of Canterbury.Kempe was provided to London on 21 August 1448 and consecrated on 8 February 1450. He died on 28 March 1489. He had previously held the office of Archdeacon of Richmond from 1442 to 1448.-...
, Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, nephew of John Kemp (died 1489).
When Sir Thomas Kempe died in 1607, leaving four married daughters, Olantigh was sold to Sir Timothy Thornhill. In 1711, Richard Thornhill, his grandson, became hopelessly involved in drinking and gambling, and Olantigh was purchased in 1720 by Jacob Sawbridge, one of the directors of the South Sea Company, in the year of “The South Sea Bubble”. In 1773, John Sawbridge
John Sawbridge
John Sawbridge was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1768 to 1780.Sawbridge was the eldest son of John Sawbridge of Olantigh and his wife Elizabeth Wanley, daughter of George Wanley....
, the then ruling squire, became Lord Mayor of London; he extended the mansion. The estate passed down through the Sawbridge family to John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge, on his father's death in 1851. The Member of Parliament for Wareham
Wareham (UK Parliament constituency)
Wareham was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1302 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-History:...
1841–57, 1859–65, 1868–80, on 1 May 1827, married Jane Frances Sawbridge Erle-Drax Grosvenor, of Charborough Park, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, and Ellerton Abbey, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, at St George's Church, Hanover Square
Hanover Square
Hanover Square may refer to:* Hanover Square, London, England* Hanover Square, Manhattan, New York City, USA** Hanover Square , elevated station* Hanover Square, Syracuse, USA-See also:* Hanover Square Rooms, London...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In December 1903, Olantigh was occupied by Wanley Elias Sawbridge-Erle-Drax, vicar of Almer
Almer
Almer is a village in Dorset, England located on the A31 road near Winterborne Zelston, Huish Manor, Sturminster Marshall and opposite the Drax estate. The main features of the village are Almer Manor, Almer Parish church and the old school house...
, Dorset, when fire gutted the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mansion.
In 1910, Wanley commissioned architects A. Barnett Brown & Ernest Barrow to design a new house incorporating the original stone portico. Repositioned with the portico 70 feet (21.3 m) from its original position, the new smaller scale red-brick mansion was finished in 1911.
In 1912, the house was let to Mr J. H. Loudon, who redeveloped the gardens, before it was sold to his son, Mr F. W. H. Loudon, in 1935. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the house proved too large, and the west wing which provided two-thirds of the accommodation was demolished in the mid-1950s, leaving a house today only a fifth as large as the house it replaced after the 1903 fire.
The garden terraces and stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
block were Grade II listed in 1989.
Still owned today by the Loudon family, the garden beside the Great Stour river
River Stour, Kent
The River Stour is the river in Kent, England that flows into the English Channel at Pegwell Bay. Above Plucks Gutter, where the Little Stour joins it, the river is normally known as the Great Stour. The upper section of the river, above its confluence with the East Stour at Ashford is sometimes...
, is open to the public and has a wide variety of trees, providing woodland walks; the gardens themselves have a rockery, a shrubbery, herbaceous border and extensive lawns.
Sources
- A General History of the Kemp and Kempe Families of Great Britain, Frederick Hitchin-Kemp, London, Leadenhall Press, 1902
- The Complete Peerage, George E. Cokayne, Sutton Publishing, Gloucester, 2000