18th Century eyesore former farmhouse de-listed

Bodkin Farmhouse, on Thanet Way, has been removed from the National Heritage List for England following a lengthy process by land agents Mather Jamie on behalf of the property’s owner, working with Historic England. This resulted in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) taking the rare step of removing the property from The List.

The property, which was originally built in the 18^th century, ceased operating as a farmhouse in the 1970s and was spot-listed at the time. Since then it has become an eyesore due to vandalism and disrepair. The property was judged by the DCMS to have lost its claim to special architectural and historic interest following attempts at modernisation by various previous owners. Having been removed from The List, it is now due to be demolished.

Elizabeth Lewin, Rural Practice Surveyor for Mather Jamie, said, “This has been a long and complex journey, as removing a property from the Heritage List is a process which is not usually undertaken, for the obvious reason that properties on The List should be protected. “However, the whole point of The List is that it should reflect properties with architectural and historic merit, and we successfully argued on behalf of our client that this could sadly no longer be said of Bodkin Farmhouse.”

Historic England and Mather Jamie worked closely with Canterbury City Council, and with Georgian and Victorian Societies, to ensure that the proper local authorities and experts were consulted with and notified throughout the process.

For details of similar rural land opportunities, please contact Elizabeth Lewin on 01509 233433 or refer to the Mather Jamie website - www.matherjamie.co.uk