ASHFORD DISTRICT
STATELY HOMES, CASTLES & TOWERS
Kent is home to various stately homes, country houses, castles, and towers, some of which have intriguing stories of hauntings throughout history. Notable figures like Sir Winston Churchill and Charles Darwin are linked to some of these locations. Additionally, there are lesser-known treasures that hold their own surprises.
Here is what has been found so far in the Ashford District
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Please note that not all of these sites are publicly accessible, as some may be located on private property. Be sure to check in advance and obtain permission if necessary. Do not trespass!
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If you know of any sites that are missing or have heard reports of paranormal activity at any stately homes Castle & Towers not mentioned here, please get in touch. Thank you.
CHILHAM CASTLE (COUNTRY HOUSE & GARDENS)
CHILHAM PARK, CHILHAM, CANTERBURY CT4
**PARANORMAL ACTIVITY**
In 1972, the castle hosted a weekend banquet for tourists. During the festivities, a young staff member spotted an elderly lady in a medieval dress walking towards the old wall. Thinking she was a guest in fancy dress, the staff member approached her, but the old lady vanished into the wall. Several months later, two witnesses reported seeing a ghostly elderly lady dressed in medieval clothing standing by the same wall.
A few years later, while a TV crew was filming on the castle stairs, one of the actresses was suddenly pushed hard by an unseen force, causing her to stumble awkwardly and break her ankle.
There have also been reports of noises resembling furniture being moved overhead from the roof. The bar, built into the castle for tourists' enjoyment, is rumoured to be haunted by an unidentified medieval girl who has frightened the staff. Eerie sounds and sudden temperature drops have been reported in the kitchen and the ladies' cloakroom.
An old story tells of a lady who was bricked up alive by the castle's previous owner for unknown reasons. Could one of the apparitions reported in the area be her?
**HISTORY**
Chilham Castle's history dates back to 709 when Wihtred, King of Kent, constructed a fort—likely made of wood—on the site. The name 'Cilleham' appears in the Domesday Book, noted as being held by 'Sired from King Edward.' Today, all that remains of the medieval fortress that once covered eight acres is a large grey block, which included three baileys and a barbican gate. The castle has never witnessed military conflict despite being garrisoned throughout the Middle Ages. It has been home to several sometimes eccentric families.
King William the Conqueror granted the holding to his half-brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. The under-tenant, Fulbert de Lucy, retained possession after Odo incurred the King's displeasure. As part of his feudal duties, Fulbert built a keep at Chilham (likely also made of wood) and contributed some of the garrison for Dover Castle, where he constructed the Chilham Tower. Fulbert's family later adopted the name de Dover, suggesting a higher status than that associated with Chilham.
In 1216, the castle was briefly occupied by the Dauphin, heir to the French throne. After capturing Canterbury, he was on his way to London to claim the English throne, which some rebellious barons had offered him. However, he hesitated due to the death of King John, and by that time, the barons had changed their minds in favour of John's infant son, Henry. This led them to send the foreign prince back home.
Although various Kings of England held it intermittently, the castle was maintained almost continuously for nearly 260 years by the family of Fulbert de Lucy and then, over the following centuries, by the line of Bartholomew de Badlesmere.
In 1542, Sir Thomas Cheney, Constable of Dover Castle, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and Treasurer to the King's Household, acquired the castle through a formal grant from the King. A decade earlier, Cheney had made his great house, Shurland, situated on the Isle of Sheppey, available for the King to spend time with his paramour, Anne Boleyn. For Cheney, the old castle at Chilham was primarily a source of building materials. He gradually dismantled its fortifications and transported the stones via the Stour and Swale to his island residence.
Thomas's extravagant son, Henry, Baron Cheney, later sold the ruin to his neighbour, Sir Thomas Kempe of Olantigh. Kempe's son, also named Thomas, died without male heirs, leaving the nearly vacant site to his four daughters. One of them, Mary, married Sir Dudley Digges of London and Barham near Canterbury. After buying out his brothers-in-law, Digges built the present house in 1616 on the site of the ancient castle. This house still bears the name of the original castle. At the same time, the ruined Keep has served various purposes over the years, including as an outhouse, brewery, and water tower.
In the 20th century, the Keep was once again converted into a separate dwelling,
In the 1920s, The Keep was the country residence of the well-known British painters and art collectors Charles Ricketts and Charles Haslewood Shannon.
John Whyte-Melville-Skeffington, 13th Viscount Massereene, owned it from 1949 until he died in 1992.
Over the decades, it has been used for various filming; in 1965, Chilham Castle was used for part of the filming of The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders. In 1985, the site was featured in an episode of the police drama Dempsey & Makepeace as Makepeace's family home; in 1994, the castle was featured in an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot and in 2006, a TV episode, The Moving Finger, (part of Agatha Christie's Marple)
In 2002, Chilham Castle became the home of Stuart and Tessa Wheeler. After extensive renovations, they restored its former glory, including an indoor pool. They rented the home for various occasions and events and organized House, Garden, and Park tours. The Keep became home to an Equestrian Centre. Tesse died in 2016, and Stuart remained there with his three daughters until his death in 2020.
In 2021, it went up for sale for £15 million and has become a luxury retreat, or, as the website describes it, 'a haven for hedonistic wellness and seasonal revelry'.
GODINTON HOUSE & GARDENS
GODINTON LANE ASHFORD TN23
**PARANORMAL ACTIVITY**
The house is said to be haunted by the spirit of a lady seen in a black silk dress, often spotted on the staircase. This specter is believed to be a family member of the Toke family who had an inappropriate relationship with a resident priest and was later found murdered.
Another apparition is a lady in a white dress, thought to roam the house. She is believed to be the spirit of a different Toke family member who was imprisoned in a room that had all its windows and doors bricked up. Many years later, a female skeleton was discovered in this hidden room, which became known as the Blue Bedroom. According to legend, this bedroom contains a portrait of a young woman in a white dress. After dark, the woman’s spirit is said to emerge from the portrait and wander the house.
**HISTORY**
An ancient working estate with charming walking paths, located near the picturesque village of Great Chart, the 600-year-old house and its gardens are surrounded by beautifully restored parkland. Throughout its long history, the estate has witnessed the rise and fall of numerous monarchs, various uprisings and rebellions, the Civil War, and threats of invasion. Remarkably, it has changed ownership only twice in six centuries.
The Jacobean house was built around a medieval great hall. The manor of Godinton has been held by several families, including the de Godinton, Champneys, and Goldwell families, before passing by marriage to Thomas Toke in the late 15th century. The Toke family maintained control of the estate for approximately 455 years, from 1440 to 1895, after settling in Kent in the early 16th century. Captain Nicholas Toke (1588-1680), who was involved in the local army and referred to as a captain, served as Sheriff of Kent in 1663. However, no member of the Toke family had sat in Parliament since 1554. Legend has it that the Captain, who was married five times, died while traveling to London to find a sixth bride.
In 1896, Colonel John Leslie Toke sold the estate to Mr. George Ashley Dodd, who hired architect Sir Reginald Blomfield to update and extend the house and redesign the gardens. Blomfield planted the famous yew hedge, shaped to mimic the gable form of the house, and laid out the current formal gardens.
Mr. Dodd sold Godinton to Mrs. Bruce Ward in 1919, who owned it until her grandson, Major Alan Wyndham-Green, inherited it in 1953, making him the last private owner of Godinton.
In 1991, the Major established the Godinton House Preservation Trust, and upon his death in 1995, the ownership and management of the estate were transferred to the current Godinton House Preservation Trust, which has been dedicated to preserving, restoring, and enhancing the house and parklands since 1997.
The estate hosts one of the finest private collections of porcelain in the South of England and features a Steinway piano. Notably, the main staircase boasts elaborate carvings in chestnut wood.
It has since then become a public attraction in Godinton, with access to the house and gardens, along with events throughout the year.