FOLKESTONE & HYTHE DISTRICT
STATELY HOMES, CASTLES & TOWERS
Various Stately homes, Country houses, Castles and Towers still exist around our county of Kent and in among the history, some are rumoured to be haunted. These include Sir Winston Churchill and Charles Darwin among others. there is also a few lesser known treasures which have their own surprises in store. check out what we found so far for the District of Folkestone & Hythe
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It should not be assumed that these sites are all publicly accessible and may be on private property. Please check first and get permission, if necessary....Do not trespass!
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​CLICK ON PICTURE FOR THE BUSINESS WEBSITE
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​If we have missed any out or you hear of any reports of Paranormal Activity at any of the ruins or the castles that arent reported here, please get in touch. Thankyou
LYMPNE CASTLE - THE ST, LYMPNE, HYTHE CT21
The site, with its commanding views, has been strategically important since Roman times. It has been a Roman fortress, an Anglo-Saxon outpost, a Danish stockaded camp, a Norman castle, a home of the Archdeacons of Canterbury, a Tudor fortified residence, a farm, the haunt of smugglers and a look-out in WW2.
The first castle was built in the 1080's for the Archdeacons of Canterbury on the edge of a cliff looking over the Romney Marshes and was once occupied by Thomas à Becket. It was rebuilt in the 14th century by a building with a tower at each end, and it is thought that the square tower may be on the site of a Roman watch tower. After being used as a farm, it was restored in 1908 by the Scottish architect Robert Lorimer - works focusing upon the Great Hall with its linen fold panelling (which came from other buildings).
During the First World War the castle was used for accommodation of the forces based on the newly constructed airport at Lympne, which is no longer in use.
Between the wars it appears the area had quite a high social life with the Sassoon family building the famous house at Port Lympne which is now centred in the wildlife park, attracting visitors such as Lord Boothby, Dorothy Macmillan, Noel Coward and Charlie Chaplin to name just a few.
The Second World War saw the last major construction at the castle, a look out post on the top of the Eastern Tower. This played an important part in the early sightings of the V1 Rockets - as on a clear day it was possible to see the explosions at the time of launching in Calais. This allowed about six minutes to alert the guns around the coastline causing many of the rockets to be shot down over the Hythe Bay.
The castle suffered a decline immediately after the war with it eventually being used as a farm store until the Margery family brought it in 1962 and restored it.
In the spring of 2000 the castle estates were offered for sale, The new owner Lord Aspinall, has the same affection and caring nature for the castle. This has been clearly shown in the extent of work that has been undertaken.
The West Drawing Room, whilst echoing the majesty of the medieval castle, belongs to a different era. It was added in Edwardian times when the famous architect Sir Robert Lorimer was commissioned to restore the castle, which was then near to ruin. The Great Hall with its part panelled walls, wooden roof beams and Gothic arched windows, you can imagine the noise from the past, with jovial talk, the clanking of goblets and the music of bygone feasts. If you have been looking for a venue to host an event, whether it be a wedding, a conference, presentation or product launch then look no further than Lympne Castle.
It is generally not open to the public but they do offer accomodation in the cottages and have a pop up restaurant through the months.
Below the castle, at the foot of the cliff, lies the remains of a Roman Shore fort, known as Stutfall Castle.
HAUNTINGS
Lympne Castle is believed to be haunted, and has attracted mediums and ghost-hunters over the years.....
During the roman occupation, there was a Roman fortress on the site of Lympne Castle and legend has it a Roman soldier was on sentry duty in the watch tower and fell to his death and his ghost is said to haunt the castle. His phantom footsteps have been heard coming up the tower steps, but never down. In days gone by his ghostly apparition was once a common sight but hasn't been seen recently.
The grounds are said to be haunted by six Saxons priests who were caught hiding in the Castle from the Normans, unfortunately they were found and hacked to death. It is now said they haunt the sanctum of the castle, causing a feeling of fear and despair.
Another is said to that of a young girl called Emily, who committed suicide at the Castle. Her ghostly apparition, has been seen in and around the Herstmonceux Room.
There are also reports of other ghostly apparitions, from the Tudor period have also been seen wandering the castle and grounds and former residence have also heard mysterious footsteps and other noises, they cannot explain.
SALTWOOD CASTLE - 49 CASTLE RD, HYTHE CT21
The importance of the position for a coastal defence was early recognised. There are signs that, at the head of an inlet of the sea here, the Britons threw up earthworks, which later the invading Romans strengthened. As their line of communication with Rome lay through this part of Kent, the Romans clung to it after all else was lost. But their desperate resistance to the Saxons was in vain and A.D. 488 Osric, the son of Hengist, built a fort here.
In the time of Canute, Haldane, around 1026, a Saxon thegn, gave the manor of Saltwood, with Hythe as an appendage, to the monks of Christchurch, Canterbury.
Lanfranc, dividing the property of See, kept Saltwood Manor; it became an "honour" held under the Archbishops by different knights. Hugo de Montfort repaired and strengthened it, Henry of Essex, Barn de Raleigh and Constable of England, rebuilt it around 1154 . The walls of his chapel still stand, showing traces of the windows on the south side, while other architectural remains indicate its ecclesiastical nature. The stone-ribbed ceiling of his gate-house, the portcullis grooves, the hook-stones and hooks for the gates may still be seen in the back room in the gate-house. Raleigh was Warden of the Cinque Ports and also Hereditary Standard bearer to the King but for his cowardice and treason in the Welsh wars, he forfeited his lands and the King then seized the Castle of Saltwood, The King then granted to Randolph de Broc. It was then, that Saltwood Castle became associated with one of the most striking and lurid incidents in English history.
Thomas Becket, on becoming Archbishop, had claimed Saltwood as an ancient possession of See, and thus roused de Broc's hostility. so when in 1174, four knights, spurred on by King Henry's uncontrollable words against Becket, left Beckett and by arrangement via de Broc, after landing, two at Dover, two at Winchelsea, they met at Saltwood Castle. Possibly using the spiral stone stairs and entering into the lower rooms in the square portion of the gate-house, the candles being extinguished and in the darkness of the long winter night of December 28th, the significant meeting took place and the 4 guests, along with their host, plotted the murder. Early next day they galloped the fifteen miles along the straight line of the old Roman Stone Street to Canterbury, and there, one of the de Brocs who had charge of the Archbishop's palace, during his absence, guided the four murderers to the fatal deed. after, the four knights rode back that stormy night to Saltwood Castle.
upon his death, Randolph de Broc forbid the monks, to lay the Archbishop amongst his predecessors, he was instead buried in the crypt of Canterbury. It was believed that "a new burst of miraculous power had broken out at the tomb", and for three centuries his body lay amongst treasures of art and devotion, a centre to which streamed a constant succession of pilgrimages from all parts of Europe. Many of the devout pilgrims from north-east Europe landed at Hythe and passed under the walls of Saltwood Castle on their way, by bridle-path over the downs or along old British roads through Stowting or Wye, to the shrine of de Broc's victorious victim.
The Archbishops soon regained possession of the castle, for King John granted "Saltwode" afresh to See. They frequently resided here, and later on a chapel in the castle was dedicated to "St. Mary and St. Thomas."
Many are the entries relating to Saltwood are in the Archiepiscopal registers.
About 1347 the Archbishop pays "aid" for Saltwood when the Black Prince was knighted. Archbishop Whittlesey, also in Edward 111's reign, makes Simon de Burgh Constable of Saltwood at a salary of £20 per annum, payable at the Feasts of Easter and St. Michael.
The keep wall, outside which remains of masonry show the probability of a wooden foot-bridge across the moat, to serve the village people on their way to Mass. The chapel must have been built over a crypt, since the position of the Piscina (is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church) shows that it was on a level with the large hall standing next to it. This Hall of Audience was erected above the strongly vaulted cellar, the roof of which is of the same date as that in the lower portion the gatehouse built by Raleigh.The well in the centre of the inner baillie, is 62 feet deep and 8 feet square. Two square towers are found within the keep wall, the lower storeys of each having formed dungeons without light or ventilation. Courtenay, at the time of his death, was adding four bays to the front, to meet his circular towers, with new drawbridge, gates and portcullis; and had this been completed, and the old front opened to it, a fine drive would have been carried through to the inner bailie. Guard-rooms and little cells occupied the ground floor of the towers, which stand nearly 80 feet high. Two shields above the front door show Courtenay's arms alone, and impaled with those of the see.
Archbishop Arundel held here an examination of the famous Lollard, William Thorpe, who was "confined and grievously tormented" in the dungeons of Saltwood. He writes himself: "Some counselled the Archbishop to burne me by and by, and some counselled him to drowne me in the sea, for it is neare hand here"; and later, "Then was I led forth and brought into a foul unionist prison where I never came before".
Edward 11 and Queen Elizabeth 1 both visited the castle, and about 1540 Cranmer conveyed this manor to King Henry VIII and his successors.
An earthquake in 1580 did much damage; and during the restoration in 1882 working men's tokens, bearing German inscriptions, were discovered, showing by the date that German skilled labour was then employed for repairs. Further earthquakes and the neglect of man gradually completed the ruin of the place.
Changes of owners and reversions to the Crown were many, of note, Charles 1 settled a fee-farm of £24 8s 4d out of the Manor of Saltwood as a dower for Queen Henrietta Maria.
From about this date it was held by Sir William Boteler and his descendants till 1712, when Brook Bridges of Goodnestone bought it. In 1794 William Deedes of Sandling, after his marriage with Sophia Bridges, exchanged lands near Goodnestone for the Saltwood Castle estate.The gatehouse was then used as a farmhouse, and fell into still greater decay, until it was saved from complete ruin by William Deedes, grandson of the first and uncle of William Deedes. This restoration, begun in 1882, was carried out on the lines of the original building by the well known architect Mr. Frederick Beeston.
HAUNTINGS
In the Yellow Room, Alans father Kenneth Clark & Several guest, including an actress have heard voices and the sound of bells at 5am,
Alan Clark's Wife and several guests have seen a ghost monk in one of the bedrooms and there is also a woman in grey who haunts the library. Alan Clark himself has said 'I have experienced too much of the supernatural to waste my time with sceptics'.
UNDERHILL HOUSE - Â UNDERHILL RD ST MARTINS PLAIN CHERITON KENT
After the English Civil war, the then Duke of Richmond was in contact with the exiled Charles the II
It is said that the Duke was concealed in underground tunnels when in hiding and in the area was a Mr. Rittle who owned a house and land, the woods was said to be called Richmond shade and Rittle was eventually given governorship of Upnor castle after the restoration in 1660.
In 1794, the military in Shorncliffe was established and became the home of the light brigade and it was during that year the
Brockman family bought the land on St Martin’s Plain and the Richmond shades was cut down, so it is possible that this was the land and home that once belonged to Mr. Rittle and the tunnels used could still be somewhere in the area.
Underhill House was built in 1840. It was a large property, set in under 2 Acres. It comprised 4 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, 2 bathrooms as well as large servant quarters and outbuildings.
But tragedy was soon to befall on some of its residents' and murder & suicides, are reported to have happened here.
In the 1900's the army took charge of Underhill House and it became the home of several military officers over the years.
It is used by the British Army from Shorncliffe Army Camp for training; during wartime, and especially during World War I and World War II, where temporary camps were built there. A German dog camp was built here during World War II.
The army eventually sold the property in 1972 and it was converted into a youth hostel but this only lasted a few years and it remained vacant after that.
In 1978 the house was finally destroyed by fire. According to military sources, this was due to an ‘electrical fault’, despite the house being empty for many years with no power connected.
Today, all that remains standing is part of the stable block.
For a full researched account of the history, the sadness and deaths and the paranormal that surrounded the house, check out this great YouTube video by Floff that gives you a sceptical account of the history and haunting of the House.
Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives did a 'History Bites' project on 25 October 2012 called Folkestone's own house of horrors, available to read in GofEPS Bibliography
As it is part of an Army Training Centre, it will no doubt be inaccessible, without the proper authority.
HAUNTINGS
It took the interest of Andrew Green the Ghost Hunter and Author in the '70's and he paid it a visit, he writes about it in his book ''Ghosts of South East'' under the name Glebe House for security reasons and he talks about an experience he had when visiting the house with 2 others and the stories have carried on in other books, all including extra unconfirmed tragedies and haunting.
It has been said during the Army times, that Block 39 on St Martins Plain military grounds was known to be haunted following a German POW suicide
It was when the Army sold the house, that the beginning of numerous, inexplicable occurrences began to get reported.
Objects regularly began to disappear, only to reappear inside locked rooms and unknown voices regularly heard, in the empty kitchen.
Several ghostly forms have been reported including that of an 'old man in a pepper and salt suit’ and the form of a vacant-looking man in an army officer’s great coat, and footsteps have also been reported.
Even since the burning down of the house, mysterious events are still regularly experienced.
In 2008, the spectre of a white horse was seen in the area, staring with what was said to be with a ‘malevolent intensity’ at the witness.