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CATCHPOLE & RYE
WHITE FRIARS, SANDWICH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: CATCHPOLE & RYE
Catchpole & Rye has been creating traditional bathroomware for more than three decades, combining British craftsmanship and timeless design from its workshops in Pluckley, Kent. The company is involved with designing and handcrafting every product, from freestanding cast iron and copper baths to double marble washstands and luxury brassware showers.
Catchpole & Rye works with residential and commercial clients from all over the world, but here in Kent the stories are even more special. This White Friars case study was completed in late 2025, a project that has transformed a historic 17th-century house in Sandwich into a welcoming and characterful home.
How did the White Friars project begin? For Cristina and her family, White Friars has been their happy home since October 2020. The property was newly renovated when they purchased the house, which meant that White Friars needed little structural work. The realities of a Grade II listed building soon made themselves known, however, with Christina recalling:“ We’ ve had to do a bit of maintenance, such as rebuilding an ancient chimney that was about to fall down!”
The owners brought James Clague Architects on board from the very beginning, guiding the family through planning applications and the careful considerations that listed status demands.“ James has been a joy to work with,” Cristina says.“ He recommended our builders, Early Birds, who were excellent; their quality of finish is outstanding.”
Cristina always speaks fondly of those eventful early days in the house:“ We spent a very happy lockdown there as a family, sleeping on mattresses on the floor with no curtains! It gave us a real feel for the house before we changed a thing.”
Can you tell us about the history of the property? White Friars is a late 17th-century house based in Kent’ s historic port town of Sandwich. Its name reaches back to 1272 when the Carmelites- the White Friars- founded a medieval friary on the very ground where the house stands. The friary fell during Henry VIII’ s Reformation in 1538, later being demolished, and the house that stands today is believed to have risen, in part, from the friary’ s remnants. The house is layered with centuries of history, such as the distinctive Dutch gable, which is a quiet nod to the Flemish influence that has shaped so much of Kent’ s 17th-century architecture.
When did the house really start to come to life? Where the house truly came alive was in its colour. Drawing on the bold, saturated palettes that were trending at the time, the family embraced a scheme that could hardly be further from convention.“ We just wanted a house that was a bit of fun and a bit different. One that could be filled with family and friends, because we love entertaining,” Cristina explains.“ It’ s the complete opposite of our London house, which is fifty shades of grey. That was the trend when we did that one up!”
How did Catchpole & Rye go about bringing Cristina’ s vision to life? When it came to the bathroom, interior designer Elizabeth Nixon was brought in to design the new bathroom and she introduced the family to Catchpole & Rye.“ Elizabeth got the brief instantly and came up with the perfect mood board,” says Cristina.“ A little research online and we fell in love- the products are so beautifully made and we loved that it’ s a local Kent company.”
www. insidekent. co. uk • 157