John Hall and Susan Carey
Friday 10 July is the Annual Civic Dinner of the Chairman of Seveoaks District Council at Penshurst Place in aid of charity.
The evening starts with drinks in the gardens and there are some familiar faces such as Jane Rogers the High Sherrif and John Davies the chairman of Kent County Council but many new people as well. My husband John and I enjoy meeting people especially those involved with charities or community groups. I am very interested to hear about the Stag Communities Arts in Sevenoaks which has both a cinema and a theatre and is run mostly by volunteers.
The dinner is held in the Baron’s Hall which we have been warned is cool on even the warmest day. It is 60 foot high and was built in 1341; it is considered to be the best-preserved example of its kind. Even the massive trestle tables on either side of the hall date from the fourteenth century and there is still an octagonal hearth in the centre of the hall which is still occasionally lit. The roof is of chestnut supported by carved figures and the walls are decorated with tapestries and antlers. It’s all very imposing.
Among the guests is is the Viscount De L’Isle, who is the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Kent (see my post in May about the Lord Lieutenancy) and whose family have owned Penshurst Place since the sixteenth century.
17th Century Suit of Armour in the Baron's Hall, Penshurst Place
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Tags: Penshurst