Upper Halling: Cottages, Courts and Farms...

OS map of 1938, showing detail of Upper Halling...

A walk southwards down Pilgrims Road in Halling takes you past Prings Cottage (2)  Parts of the Grade 2-listed timber-framed Wealden hall-style house date back to 1450 but it was allowed to fall into disrepair by the cement company that came to own it.  

Prings Cottage today...

Fortunately, in the 1960's, a private owner (a Mr. Arthur Harrison) bought and restored the cottage, much to his credit and to the benefit of our surroundings...

Newspaper clip, c.1964, about Mr. Harrison and Prings Cottage (credit Frank Smith)

Prings Cottage, 1959, before restoration

In the above photo, the timber frame of the original wall can be seen. A third bay of the cottage used to exist on the left-hand side of the cottage as viewed above, which was probably demolished around 1600.

Looking east from above Court Farm, 1955 and 1973...

The above pair of pictures show the countryside around Prings Cottage as it was before the extension of the Grey Pit chalk quarry up to just south of Pilgrims Road. The edge of the original quarry can just be seen on the far left of both pictures.

On early Ordnance Survey maps, Court Farm (1) is referred to as Upper Halling Court, but I believe this may be an error: from notes I have with the photo below, I think Upper Halling Court is the row of cottages that used to be further along Pilgrims Road.

The 1955 version of the picture above shows the old Upper Halling Court (3) on the left of the picture, down from Prings Cottage on the far right.  A larger building than Prings Cottage though of the same lineage, it was sub-divided into cottages (1-4 Pilgrims Road) which were sadly demolished in the late fifties. The footings can still just be seen in the 1973 view above.

Old Upper Halling Court, c.1947, before demolition...

Court Farm (1) is another place with a long history dating back to the fifteenth century, when it appears that the old Manor House (cited in many histories of Kent) was called "Langridge". The interior contains substantial remains of a timber-framed Elizabethan open hall house. A later brick-built wing was added at the southern end in the seventeenth century and incorporated part of the original hall house and gallery.

Court Farm, c.1900...

Old photographs show the outstanding feature of this "new" wing, a massive chimney stack topped with a set of four brick chimney shafts (Tinnoth House, at the other end of Pilgrims Road, has similar-looking chimneys, although this was a much later Lord Darnley build). Internally, this wing contained the remains of three fireplaces of moulded brick skimmed with mortar and ornamented, one having a typical Tudor four-centred arch.

Oddly, given its magnificence, this wing was eventually relegated to a store for farm equipment. The northern wing was probably not built at the same time, but appears to be a later copy of the southern wing. Early photos show the round type of oast in front of the building, these dating from 1839. 

View from above Court Farm, c.1920...

By 1966, the south wing had badly deteriorated and was in poor condition. The chimney shafts had already been partly demolished and the remainder of the stack was shored up. Two of the three round oasts had already been decapitated and were being used as stores.

The chimneys finally collapsed in 1973. In 1975, the Dutch Barn burned down. Further damage to outbuildings occurred during the Great Storm on 1987.

The present building has had much rebuilding, including restoration work after the chimney collapse in 1973.

View over Court Farm, c.1973: see c.1920 view above...

Court Farm, c.1973, same view as the c.1900 photograph above...

Court Farm, c.1973...

In 1840, title deeds show that a Mr. William Holding took over the tenancy of the farm. Around this time, between 1838-47, the property became known as Court Farm. 

Since 1871, Court Farm has been run by the Lingham family, who still farm the surrounding area today. Andrew Lingham also works closely with Plantlife, using his skills and unrivalled local knowledge to help maintain Ranscombe reserve over the hill in nearby Cuxton. Without the Linghams' involvement, I suspect the local countryside around Cuxton and Halling would look very different, and not for the better. 

Court Farm today...

The current farm shop opened in 2003, and has established a good reputation as a high-class butcher offering local and often farm-produced products. 

Update: On September 1st. 2021, the Cuxton Bakehouse moved their bakery operations to Court Farm, offering a local home delivery service (by bicycle!) for fresh-baked bread and cakes, with a small selection also available in the farm shop.

Tim Bedford, the Cuxton Bakehouse baker, at the door of his new premises on opening day...

Second Update: In April 2023 (after suitably cleaning up one of Andrew Linghams's old barns), the Moot microbrewery and tap room opened its doors to the thirsty of Upper Halling, who have had a 20 year wait to regain a local watering hole...

Team Moot (photo stolen from here...)

References:

Across the Low Meadow - A History of Halling in Kent, by Edward Gowers and Derek Church, 1979.