Olantigh

Olantigh is a property 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Wye in Kent, southeast England. It includes a garden of 20 acres (8.1 ha). The hamlet in which the property stands is Little Olantigh.

Description

The property is owned by the Loudon family (who purchased it in 1935). The garden terraces and stable block acquired Grade II listed status in 1989. The garden, beside the Great Stour river, is open to the public and has a wide variety of trees, providing woodland walks; the gardens themselves have a rockery, a shrubbery, herbaceous border and extensive lawns.

History

The first known holder of the manor of Olantigh was Ralph Kempe (c.1283–1313). He is also the earliest known ancestor of the Wye Kempes. The theory that the Kempes were descendants of John Kempe, a Flemish weaver who settled in England under royal protection in 1313 is probably not true, because they were settled at Wye before that time. There are many generations of Kempes down to the present. Many emigrated to the United States and some were associated to the Digges family of England and the United States. The most famous descendants were John Kemp (1380–1454), Archbishop of Canterbury, and Thomas Kempe, Bishop of London, nephew of John Kemp (died 1489).