Venue Type & Location
Town Hall
Site Name: Common House
Location: Lydd
County: Kent
Location Type: Town - in town at determined location
Performance Spaces
Overview
Located at the SW corner of the All Saints' churchyard wall, Lydd's medieval timber-framed Common House remains standing on ...
The council chamber was on the upper storey, with a prison cell below on the ground level.
Later called the Court Hall, much of the original building remains, with weatherboard now covering its upper part.
Current Status
Still in use as hardware store. Public visits to the restored Court Hall available by appointment.
History of the Venue
1428--9 Common House built.
1734 Court hall no longer used by the town council. Extensive alterations followed, including removal of the W end, replaced by a larger timber-framed building called the Gaol House. Leased to various individuals until the 20th c.
1965 Converted for use as a shop.
Record Source
REED Kent: Diocese of Canterbury 2.???
Patrons who owned this venue
[No data found.]
Bibliographic Sources
- Igglesden, Charles. A Saunter Through Kent with Pen and Pencil. 38 vols. Ashford: Kentish Express, 1900--194x
- Newman, John, and Nikolaus Pevsner. West Kent and the Weald. Harmondsworth and Baltimore: Penguin, 1976
- Parkin, E.W. 'The Old Court Hall, Lydd'. 1982 Archaeologia Cantiana 98 (1982): 107--20.