Hall Place and Gardens

Sitting on the banks of the River Cray, Hall Place is a Grade I listed Tudor country house originally built in 1537 for Sir John Champneys (a prominent merchant and one time Lord Mayor of London) and with a 17th century courtyard built by later owner Sir Robert Austen (who purchased the house in 1649). The focal point of the lower floor of the original Tudor structure is the Great Hall with its polished wood panelling and minstrel's gallery above from which courtiers with lyres and flutes would have serenaded the revellers in the banqueting hall below. Leading off from the Great Hall is the Tudor kitchen where haunches of venison and other cuts of meat would have been meticulously prepared for the delectation of the guests. This room has been painstakingly restored first by Lady Limerick (the last private resident of the house until her death in 1943 who added the mock-Tudor fireplace) and then by Bexley Heritage Trust (who now manage Hall Place) so that today it looks exactly as it would have done 500 years ago and as such provides a window into a bygone age. The lower floor also boasts a chapel and an activity room where children and adults alike can quite literally touch the past via a series of interactive games designed to recreate the life and times of Hall Place in its heyday. Nearby is also the famed Hall Place turret. One of the most recognisable features of the house with its chequered white stone and flint cladding on the outside, its inside hides a far more sinister secret for it is here that the ghost of the Black Prince and Grey Lady are said to linger. The first floor of the Tudor building also contains the Great Chamber which today houses a museum exhibition which uses objects spanning a period of 10,000 years to chart Bexley's history from prehistoric times right up to the Blitz. Highlights of the display include flint tools used by the area's first primitive inhabitants and a giant woolly mammoth's tooth which was unearthed in Erith. Also of interest is the Long Gallery on the first floor which is impressive both for its commanding views of the rose beds and Queen's Beasts topiary display and for its interior design which includes Tudor designs (such as the mock-Medieval fireplace) and more modern styles (such as the floral motifs on the plaster ceiling). The Tudor house has something for everyone and when this is combined with Austen's re brick extension with its courtyard and clock tower (built in 1653) it means the house is one of the premier tourist attractions in the area. Equally as impressive as the house, are the 65 hectares of sprawling, award-winning gardens in which it sits. These contain greenhouses (where you can see banana trees, fish and terrapins), formal gardens (containing rose beds, herbaceous borders and the Queen’s Beasts topiary display), model gardens (which will supply inspiration to budding horticulturalists) and finally picnic areas. A recent £2 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund has also enabled the construction of a new visitor centre which houses a display on Hall Place’s history as well as the new Stables Gallery where pieces of art by local artists are displayed. This grant also facilitated the construction of the Riverside Cafe where you can enjoy hot and cold snacks and refreshing beverages whilst soaking up the views of the nearby river which is brimming with wildlife all year round from Canada geese to sparkling kingfishers. In all Hall Place and its gardens are a prized piece of local heritage which are fun for all the family!

Hall Place can also be hired for weddings, conferences and other private events.

In addition, Hall Place and Gardens has an exciting events and exhibitions programme featuring open air theatre displays, Christmas concerts, farmers’ markets, craft fairs, wildlife events and much, much more. For more details please log onto our website.

Additional info

The house, Visitor Ventre, Riverside Cafe, Stables Art Gallery and glasshouses are accessible to wheelchair users. There are a limited number of hardstanding paths through the formal gardens. Disabled parking bays and toilet facilities are available. Assistance dogs are welcome. Wheelchairs and mobile scooters are available for free rent, courtesy of the Bexley Association of Disabled People. Advance booking for the use of the wheelchairs and scooters is required.