Redleaf House

The Redleaf estate stands at the North West corner of Penshurst Park. The area lay within the “Lowry of Tonbridge”, a garrison area recorded in 1259 Perambulation outlining the boundaries.

The earliest description of a dwelling there is in the state papers of Henry VIII, dated 1521, described therein as “The Manor Place – A manor there, standing in the park called Redeleff, is a goodly manor and well builded for the most part of asheler stone, with a goodly hall, chambers and lodgings and houses of office accordingly. Upon the east part of the same manor is a fair orchard and four alleys in the same for walking. In the base court or without the same manor is a large and fair stable and also a fair barn for hay.”

In the second half of the 17th Century, through the reigns of Charles II and William III, Redleaf was home to Gilbert Spencer, Steward of the lands of Robert Earl of Leicester. Spencer is also said to have been Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Charles II and was receiver general of Land taxes for the County of Kent. He has a memorial in the South wall of the Sanctuary of the Parish Church. Upon Gilbert’s death in 1709, Redleaf passed to his son Robert and on Robert’s death in 1730, to his younger son Abraham, sheriff in 1736. When Abraham died unmarried in 1740, the property was willed to Rev Thomas Hardy of Tonbridge.

Thomas Harvey’s son also lived in Redleaf from 1779 until the property was [sold] to William Wells, the wealthy owner of a shipyard at Blackwall (sold in around 1806). Wells was a collector of fine art, at one point owning a large collection of old masters, amongst them the famous triple portrait of Charles I by antony Van Dyck ( now in the [Wallace collection])and works by Claude, Cuyp and Vandevelde. The 19th Century sculptor Farrington records two visits to the Redleaf estate, which Wells claimed had cost around £50,000, and found that the people thereabouts were “remarkably civil”. Wells demolished the house and rebuilt a new mansion within a relaid garden including many conifers, a rockery and crazy paving which is said to be its first introduction to Britain.

Around the 1760’s Redleaf was important for another reason. Mr Jukes is said to have created the first commercial method of manufacturing cricket balls founding “Dukes Cricket Balls” around 1760. There was a factory situated in Redleaf Park in 1775, which produced the six seam cricket ball in 1780. In 1920 the firm merged with John Wisden. The cricketing connection carried on. Joseph Wells (1828-1910), a draper, and a nephew of Timothy Duke also worked as a gardener in the Readleaf Estate. He was a semi professional cricketer who played for Kent. In 1862, he is recorded as having taken 4 wickets in 4 balls, a feat rarely accomplished in the professional game (even now only achieved around 30 times). His son was HG Wells the well known author.

Redleaf House

Robert Rees

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-The Redleaf estate stands at the North West corner of Penshurst Park. The area lay within the “Lowry of Tonbridge”, a garrison area recorded in 1259 Perambulation outlining the boundaries.
-The earliest description of a dwelling there is in the state papers of Henry VIII, dated 1521, described therein as “The Manor Place – A manor there, standing in the park called Redeleff, is a goodly manor and well builded for the most part of asheler stone, with a goodly hall, chambers and lodgings and houses of office accordingly. Upon the east part of the same manor is a fair orchard and four alleys in the same for walking. In the base court or without the same manor is a large and fair stable and also a fair barn for hay.”
-In the second half of the 17th Century, through the reigns of Charles II and William III, Redleaf was home to Gilbert Spencer, Steward of the lands of Robert Earl of Leicester. Spencer is also said to have been Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Charles II and was receiver general of Land taxes for the County of Kent. He has a memorial in the South wall of the Sanctuary of the Parish Church. Upon Gilbert’s death in 1709, Redleaf passed to his son Robert and on Robert’s death in 1730, to his younger son Abraham, sheriff in 1736. When Abraham died unmarried in 1740, the property was willed to Rev Thomas Hardy of Tonbridge.
-Thomas Harvey’s son also lived in Redleaf from 1779 until the property was [sold] to William Wells, the wealthy owner of a shipyard at Blackwall (sold in around 1806). Wells was a collector of fine art, at one point owning a large collection of old masters, amongst them the famous triple portrait of Charles I by antony Van Dyck ( now in the [Wallace collection])and works by Claude, Cuyp and Vandevelde. The 19th Century sculptor Farrington records two visits to the Redleaf estate, which Wells claimed had cost around £50,000, and found that the people thereabouts were  “remarkably civil”. Wells demolished the house and rebuilt a new mansion within a relaid garden including many conifers,  a rockery and crazy paving which is said to be its first introduction to Britain.
-Around the 1760’s Redleaf was important for another reason. Mr Jukes is said to have created the first commercial method of manufacturing cricket balls founding “Dukes Cricket Balls” around 1760. There was a factory situated in Redleaf Park in 1775, which produced the six seam cricket ball in 1780. In 1920 the firm merged with John Wisden.  The cricketing connection carried on. Joseph Wells (1828-1910), a draper, and a nephew of Timothy Duke also worked as a gardener in the Readleaf Estate. He was a semi professional cricketer who played for Kent. In 1862, he is recorded as having taken 4 wickets in 4 balls, a feat rarely accomplished in the professional game (even now only achieved around 30 times).  His son was HG Wells the well known author.