Old Soar

I have always loved to visit Old Soar Manor, deep in a nest of narrow, twisting lanes near the village of Plaxtol in Kent, ever since I was first taken there by my parents when I was aged 9 or 10.

Built around 1290, to quote the English Heritage Website, "The manor originally belonged to leading Kentish family the Culpeppers, and would have consisted of a great hall from around which a number of withdrawing rooms were located. Although the timber hall no longer remains, the private quarters do, and visitors to the site can still view the surviving solar, latrine and chapel that were once an integral part of this family home."

Old Soar is one of a number of historic properties that are curated by English Heritage but owned by the National Trust, so this tiny property also has an NT Website where you can see a number of other views of the building.