Bearsted Conservation Area Appraisal 2024

Bearsted Conservation Area was designated by Maidstone Borough Council in 1970. It consists of four different character areas, Village Green, Snowfield, The Street and Holy Cross. The Green itself is obviously the dominant defining characteristic of Bearsted Conservation Area. The original medieval layout of the village is still readily discernible and consists of dense linear development along The Street, the pre-existing routeway which defines the northern side of the Green, with more scattered and sporadic development, often of more prestigious properties in substantial grounds, around the other three sides. This difference in the pattern and density of development on different sides of The Green is an essential component of its character. The Green itself remains free of development except for in its eastern corner which probably represents an encroachment onto common land dating from the early 19th century. Within the conservation area there is a wide range of building age, ranging from the 15th century at The Limes and The Old Manor House to houses built within the last 30 years. However, the dominant period from which examples of buildings survive is the Victorian/Edwardian age, although there are significant numbers of buildings from the Georgian and pre-Georgian periods too.

Buildings within the conservation area are generally small in scale – nothing is taller than two storeys, and single storey buildings are rare.

Village Green

The Green retains a lively residential and commercial feel, mostly fronted by buildings from Victorian times and earlier. The area has a high proportion of listed buildings and many of the historical plots on which older houses sit have been retained. The village’s farming past is in evidence through the presence of oasthouses and other buildings which supported agriculture. The Green itself is a well-used open space for a variety of community pursuits, including cricket. Its large size makes it the dominant element in this area. The Green slopes gently down from its southern edge and it also contains an attractive pond.

Snowfield

The Snowfield site is indicative of a historical village estate landscape. The main house lies within semi-formal landscaped grounds which include mature specimen trees and views over the North Downs. Many of the former estate buildings – including service structures – are still found on the site. The north-eastern end of the area is slightly more developed with dwellings along Ware Street leading into the area surrounding The Green. The wooded slopes and summit of Hog Hill form an attractive natural backdrop to the conservation area.

The Street

This part of the Conservation Area has a more urbanised pattern of development than is found elsewhere, with structures built to the street edge to a high density with a number of examples of small terraced houses. It still retains its village character with almost exclusively 2-storey buildings mostly of traditional 16th to 19th century design. Some historical shopfronts and former storage buildings illustrate the area’s commercial past.

Holy Cross

Holy Cross Church and the historical estate of Mote Hall establish the essential character of the Conservation Area and until the late 19th century these two buildings, together with the Mote Hall farm buildings and the Vicarage stood isolated in the fields. Following the marketing of building plots on the Mote Hall estate in the 1880s, development slowly began to link the church and the village around the Green. Fortunately the density of development originally envisaged in the plot layout did not materialise and many plots were amalgamated when purchased to facilitate the erection of large houses in substantial grounds such as The Mount and Danefield.

Click here to read the draft Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plan for Bearsted (opens in a new tab).

We welcome your comments on this plan by 9 March 2025..