Restoration of the House
The commission at Bentley was unlike most of Erith's many other alterations or additions to old houses.
His first thought was to bring forward a wing at each end of the old farmhouse, forming a courtyard but decided instead to make two additions at either end. These consisted of two large Palladian rooms, each with a Palladian window. Inside there is an enfilade along the length of the front.
Erith's master plan may have been evolved early on in the work but it was a decade before it was completed. The first project consisted of building only one of the Palladian rooms - the Chinese Drawing Room - at the east end of the house. In 1965, work on the second room, the Bird Room, got underway. Sadly, Mr Askew died soon after the room was completed. It is now dedicated to his memory, featuring his collection of wildfowl paintings from Philip Rickman and a large portrait of Mr Askew feeding his birds.
B
entley
WILDFOWL & MOTOR MUSEUM
Bentley Wildfowl &
Motor Museum
Halland, Lewes
E.Sussex, BN8 5AF
01825 840573
01825 841451