Copperfields II
Kemsing, Kent
Architect: Fry, Drew & Partners
Register for similar homes'A naturalistic and intimate group of houses by two of the most important figures in 20th-century British architecture'
This wonderful four-bedroom house was built to a design by the eminent architects Fry, Drew & Partners in 1964. Better known for large-scale projects overseas, they applied a characteristic sensitivity when designing this group of homes in the village of Kemsing, four miles from Sevenoaks. The current owners have meticulously renovated this house, which measures 1,680 sq ft, introducing contemporary details while retaining the Mid-Century Modern essence of the architects’ design.
The group of houses at Copperfields is nestled in a quiet corner of Kent, and this one is part of a cluster of four that lie at the heart of the development. The house has a private driveway and double-length garage, connected to the house via a path through the garden.
The house has been thoughtfully restored throughout, with new black-framed windows that emphasise the building’ sharp profile. Entry is to the kitchen, which has been sensitively modernised. The owners have undertaken an intelligent re-thinking of each space, using materials that feel both appropriate and contemporary such as the terrazzo flooring which runs underfoot.
There are some wonderful mid-century features in the large living room, which adjoins the kitchen via an in-built dining area. A sculptural new wood burner and Crittal doors that lead onto the garden chime with the original oak-panelled ceilings, exposed brick pillar and a black ceramic tile fireplace. At the end of the room, a picture window frames the view onto the verdant garden. There is also a bright home office on the ground floor, along with a WC and a utility room.
An original open-tread staircase leads up to four bedrooms on the first floor. Three of these have mono-pitched wood-panelled rooflines that create a pleasing sense of volume. Clerestory windows also run the length of this side of this house, drawing ambient north-facing light into each room. There is a family bathroom, and the largest bedroom has an en-suite shower room.
The large garden is south-facing, with an L-shaped sunken patio that encircles the living spaces. Mature planting embeds the elegant building in its rural setting and a huge grape-vine and some small trees provide welcome dappled shade.
Edwin Maxwell Fry (1899 – 1987) and Dame Jane Drew (1911 – 1996) were two of the most important figures in 20th-century British architecture, with many of the schemes that they worked on having been subsequently listed by Historic England (although the houses at Kemsing are not listed). Fry worked alongside Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius and is widely acknowledged as being one of the key figures in introducing Modernism to the UK.
Kemsing is a historic Kent village that lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty close to the North Downs. There is a small collection of local shops in the village, as well as a primary school, library and doctor’s surgery. The larger town of Sevenoaks is approximately four miles away and provides train services to London in under 30 minutes as well as a broad range of shops, restaurants, and other services. There is a good number of highly-rated schools, both state and private, in the Sevenoaks area.
Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.
History
The development at Kemsing incorporated clusters of two, three and four houses, built on the old grounds of a country house in 1964 by a company called Peploe. They employed Fry, Drew & Partners who were one of the most highly-regarded architectural firms in the UK. Based in London, but working across the world, Fry, Drew & Partners were founded by Edwin Maxwell Fry (1899 – 1987) and Dame Jane Drew (1911 – 1996), two of the most important figures in 20th-century British architecture. This scheme is relatively modest in scale compared to much of their work.
As with much of the best British architecture of the 1960s, the Scandinavian influence of Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, and others is particularly strong at the Kemsing scheme, not only with the brick and timber palette of the houses but also in the layout of the individual properties. Efforts were made to make the scheme as naturalistic and intimate as possible, with many of the original trees kept in place and houses situated where they would be most private. Winding paths, as opposed to wide walkways, were laid down and the intention by Fry, Drew & Partners was to create a setting with a rural character.
A contemporary edition of House & Garden featured the Kemsing houses as a cover story, with the magazine’s in-house team furnishing the interiors for an extensive photoshoot. The journalist, Olive Sullivan, describes the houses as “more Scandinavian than English” and describes the architect’s “aim to reproduce that sense of seclusion found in earlier… country farmhouses”.
