Goodnestone Park Goodnestone, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

GOODNESTONE THE STREET TR 25 SE (West side) 3/89 Goodnestone Park 13.10.52 (formerly listed as Goodnestone House) GV II* House. Circa 1704 for Brook Bridges, altered c.1790, probably to designs by Robert Mylne c.1770, and 1838 and 1844 by Rickman and Hussey all for Bridges family. Red and blue brick with some bright red brick dressings and ashlar and rendered dressings with slate roof. Entrance front: Originally the house was 2 storeys, raised to 3 c.1790, with plinth, plat band and cornice to hipped roof with stacks to left and to right. Nine bays, the centre 5 in projecting centre piece with pediment. Nine half- sized glazing bar sashes on top floor, and 6 full sized on first and ground floors, all with heavy stone surrounds, with large pedimented Greek Doric porch, with solid side walls behind screen. South Elevation: large pilaster strip buttress and shallow canted bay as also on north elevation both extending full height. East front: the original entrance front, 3 storeys. 9 bays, all glazing bar sashes with heavy stone surrounds, the centre 5 projecting with pediment enriched with arms of Sir Brook Bridges after 1842. The central 3 glazing bar sashes on the first floor are pedimented. Central triple arcaded entry on ground floor, with cornice on pilasters and 2 semi- circular headed glazing bar sashes flanking double half glazed doors. Side wing to right (north), 2 storeys and attic with plinth, plat band and parapet to hipped roof, with 3 pedimented dormers and rear stack. Five glazing bar sashes on each floor with a forecourt enclosed by a wall in English bond brickwork. Interior: fine main staircase, in spacious stair hall, with open string, enriched brackets, paired balusters, alternately fluted and barley sugar enriched square newels, column-type balusters on half-landings, with swept and ramped handrail, and ramped raised and fielded dado panelling. Suite of 3 eastern rooms probably by Robert Mylne, c.1770 with central oval entrance hall with niches and painted with drops of flowers and antique style decoration, and flanking rooms with bowed ends (expressed in the exterior bows). The house was the seat of Sir Brook Bridges, whose daughter Elizabeth married Jane Austen's brother Edward in 1791. Jane Austen was a frequent guest, especially from 1791 to 1797, and the house and estate figure prominently in her correspondence and undoubtedly also in her work. (See B.O.E. Kent II, 1983, 335; See also The Field, May 4 1985; see also house guide, George Plumptre, 1979; see also G. Holyoake, Bygone Kent, 3/5/May 1982)

Listing NGR: TR2541554411