A Return to Calico House in Newnham
In 2007, Arte Conservation worked on a project that involved the interior wall paintings and exterior sgraffito at Calico House, Newnham.
The interior wall painting fictive wooden panelling, is typical of early 17th-century designs found elsewhere in Kent. The paintings, done in tempera on lime and plaster, had suffered water damage in places. Fragments of poetic text were founds on the upper walls, possibly reflecting the love between Stephen and Joane Hulkes, who had lived in the house. The Hulkes family lived there for over a century, and were involved in local ale production. The house's name may derive from the external red and white plasterwork resembling early 18th-century calico fabric, though much of the exterior decoration has been restored the upper third dates to 1710.
In April 2025 work began on the exterior decoration to repair a small area of plaster damage.
