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Knole House
Conservation Works
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Set deep within Knole Park, just beyond Sevenoaks in west Kent, Knole rose from its landscape with quiet authority. Once an archbishop’s palace and now one of England’s largest historic houses, it carried centuries of adaptation in its walls, courts, and rooflines layers of use shaped by time, weather, and continued life.
Client
National Trust - Knole
Location
Sevenoaks
Grade listing
Grade I
Fabric
Clay Tiles
The Next Chapter of Care
DBR was appointed to carry out the next phase of conservation, focused on the North Garden Wall and the Stone Court. The work was not about transformation, but stewardship, addressing decay where it had taken hold and strengthening the fabric to endure what lay ahead.
Along the North Garden Wall
Attention turned first to the long stretch of the North Garden Wall. Defective and damaged stonework was carefully cut out, mortar joints raked back and repointed, and invasive vegetation removed. Loose stones within the ragstone walling were refixed, and where instability had developed, sections were carefully rebuilt, restoring both strength and continuity to the wall’s historic line.
The Stone Court Parapet
Within the Stone Court, DBR’s masons undertook repairs to the castellated parapet. Stone copings were carefully dismantled and assessed, damaged stones repaired or replaced, and salvaged ragstone and Yorkstone reset wherever possible. Each intervention was guided by reuse, ensuring original material remained part of the structure wherever it could.
Supporting the Fabric
Alongside masonry works, DBR oversaw the design and erection of scaffolding across the site, allowing access for further façade masonry and render repairs. These works were carried out with precision, ensuring protection for both the building and its surroundings.
Above Pheasant Court
At roof level, DBR’s roofing division carried out repairs to Pheasant Court. Damaged tiles, battens, and felt were removed, new battens installed, and historic tiles carefully repurposed alongside new matching replacements. This approach preserved visual and historic continuity while improving the roof’s long-term performance. Repairs to historic timber followed, along with decorative and stucco conservation where required.
Finishing Touches
Further works included repairs to rainwater goods, redecoration of the loggia ceiling and walls, timber repairs, and the installation of a discreet safety system and ladder access quiet upgrades designed to support ongoing care without altering character.
When the work was complete, Knole stood unchanged in spirit yet strengthened in substance its walls steadied, its courts renewed, and its long relationship with the landscape carried forward, ready for the next chapter of its history.
