HIGHAM PAR(  HISTORY

Information concerning the background to Higham is currently quite sparse. Despite searches
in local archives such as East Kent,Canterbury Cathedral,Canterbury Local Studies Library,
and the R.l.B.A in London,little specific information has so tar emerged remrdng the
authorship and precise nature of works to the building at different periods. The most
useful information so far has been obtained from an analysis oi ordnance survey maps
and examination of the building itself.  9 - '
 hasalonghistoryasamanorhousedatingbacktothel4thcenturyhavingbeen
ceded to the De Hwram family by Edward ll in 1320. The estates passed in 1534 to 
Thomas  noted authorand herbalist. in about 1768anew house was built i it
by Ignatius Geohawn and flris may have been the buildingillustrated in the Kentish Register
(sw illustration) and  passed in  1781 to James     
in Gainsborough’s painting The Morning Walk‘. ln 1823 the estate passed to Charles Hughes
l-lallet who married Frances Amedaughter of Sir Edward Knatchbull, r8fl1 %rt of Mershanr
Haloh.T'ne reverend Jarnesi-lughes-Hallet lived in the house from 1846. in 190t. flwe estate
was purchw by a London banker,Wiiliam Gay,who was a collector of rare plants and
orchids and may have contributed to the layout oi the present gardens. By 1873  basis
oi me eastern parts of the present house were formed with die clearly recognisable central
bay window overiooking fire park to the east togefiwer  the enclosed kitchen gardens and
chalk pit to $0ufl'r($9s9 D 9 ) (KR )(SP)(l-lP}. The layout remained  mtil 1907
except that two  outbuildngs to the east had been demolished and replaced by
this  coach house andgarden wliwe in  ‘Arts and Craftsistyle
 n i ~
The property was purchased in 1910 by the Comtess Margaret Zborowska,flle wealflry
granddaughter of William Waldorf Astor and she commissioned the London architect
JosephSawyerto radically redesignandextendthehousetoformthe buldngthatwesee
today. She cfied in July 1911 at Bridgepresumably whilst work was still in progress
andthehousepassedtohersonCountLouisVorrowZbrowskiwhois recordedas
‘motoring to his new place‘ in1912(RZ). Louis was a passionate racing driver and for a short
time during the early 1920's Higham became the venue where some otthe worlds most
ambitious racing cars were bw'l’r.The first aero-engined racing cars,later immortalised by lan
Fleming in his  Bang‘ werethe braincluld ofComtl.ouis andflrrese
amear in numerous photos and illustrations with the house and outbwldings as a back-drop
(RZ)(SP).'lhe Comtdedatjust 28 years of  Mercedes Benzat Monzair 
 latest creation from his workshops,the l-Edam Special was passed. to his friend Parry
Thomas,wholatertookittothe PendinesandsinSouthWaleswhereitbroketheworld
$eedmwrd.TheHyflleandDymchurchmmwgaugeraiMayalsostanedfiieatFfidram
where it originally circled the landscaped gardensll-IP).
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