MAIDSTONE 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 Maidstone
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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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
ALLINGTON CASTLE - CASTLE ROAD, ALLINGTON, MAIDSTONE ME16
The first castle was built by William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey during the reign of King Stephen, during the Anarchy of the early 12th century. It was a moated mound (possibly a motte and bailey) built on a site adjoining a bend in the River Medway about one mile north of Maidstone. The fortification was an unauthorised castle and its demolition was ordered in 1174 during the reign of Henry II, when royal control was reasserted. It was replaced with a small unfortified manor house. All that remained of the original castle is a section of wall and the kitchen fireplace.
Stephen de Pencester, the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, who was granted a licence to crenellate the existing manor house by Edward I and the present castle was built between 1279–99. It became more of a residence than a fortress, and the use of brick, due to Stephen's interests in a brickyard in Essex. It was inherited by Penchester's daughter and passed via marriage to the Cobham family. The building's development was continued in the early 13th century by Sir Henry de Cobham, incorporating the remains of the old manor house into the new castle. After his death, it eventually fell into neglected, being described by documentary sources as being in a very bad condition by 1398–99. It remained in the Cobham family, until 1492.
The Castle was then converted into a mansion house, when the Wyatt family acquired the property, which was fortified with royal permission, possibly after a visit from Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn who dined with Sir Thomas Wyatt in the Great Hall around 1530.
In 1554 it was seized by the Crown in the course of dispossessing its owner, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger, after the failure of his rebellion against Queen Mary.
Various alterations and expansions were made by successive owners over the following two centuries. The property was developed into a fortified compound with six towers at irregular intervals along the curtain wall and domestic buildings in the interior, including one of the first long galleries built in England.
It was severely damaged by fire in the late 16th century and fell into a state of decay that was accelerated by neglect and vandalism.
In 1895, a retired London barrister named Dudley C. Falke rented the castle from Lord Romney and began the lengthy task of restoration. However, this proved too expensive for his resources, so in 1905 he approached the distinguished mountaineer and cartographer Sir William Martin Conway (later Lord Conway), who he had heard was looking to buy an old castle or manor house. The castle was then purchased and partly restored by the efforts of Sir Martin and his wife during the first half of the century, then following his death, then his wife, her husband sold it and between 1951 and 1999 the castle was home to a convent of the Order of Carmelites. It gained a grade I Listing in 1951.
It was returned to being a private residence in 1999 and is currently the home of Sir Robert Worcester, the founder of the MORI polling company and although the castle is a private residence, the Great Hall, which is fully furnished in character with its Medieval origins, with Tapestries and antique furniture and the gardens can be hired as an exclusive wedding venue or as a filming location. They also have a number of boat mooring that they lease out on a long-term non-residential basis and new for this year with the popular Kentish Lady Riverboat tour will include an exclusive stopover at Allington Castle on a special weekly pre-booked excursion available via the Riverboat Tours website
HAUNTING
Local legend is that a maid at the castle was hung for drowning her illegitimate child in the moat and it is believed her ghost haunts the castle, Phantom footsteps have been heard walking around the castle and witnesses have seen her ghostly apparition near the Solomans Tower and in the garden of the Kings Tower.
BINBURY CASTLE - THURNHAM MAIDSTONE
Situated in the disused Detling airfield and on an industrial estate.
(Latitude:51° 18' 44" N Longitude:0° 35' 52" E Lat/Long (dec):51.31235,0.59785)
This Medieval Castle dating 1090 AD to 1539 AD is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance.
A 100 foot wide Motte and bailey castle with the remains of a masonry tower within the site of the bailey. The castle stands on the tableland of the North Downs and is now within the bounds of the former Detling airfield. The manor formed a portion of the holding of Bishop Odo of Bayeux. After the forfeit of his lands the manor was granted to Gilbert de Magminot and afterwards passed with the adjacent manor of Thurnham to the de Northwordes.
The castle survives as earthwork remains which include a substantial earthen mound, or motte, surrounded by a large moat. To the south east are the remains of a formerly walled bailey within which lie the upstanding remains of a tower, thought to represent a mural tower. The motte survives as an oval earthwork mound which stands to a height of c.5m above the surrounding ground level. Surrounding the motte is a moat which, although partially infilled, to the north, west and south. To the east of the motte the moat has been deliberately infilled and now survives as a buried feature. Lying beyond the infilled moat on the south east side of the motte is the castle bailey. This area was originally enclosed by a wall but the only upstanding masonry remains which now survive are the ruins of a possible mural tower which was incorporated into a later medieval manor house.
Built into the mound are World War II air raid shelters. These have brick entrances in the side of the mound; the main chamber is constructed from steel and concrete situated at approximately ground level, with a brick ventilation shaft. Situated on the outer bank of the moat in the north west corner of the monument is a concrete bunker also dating to World War II.
Despite disturbance caused by the wartime military use of the site and the Manor house building, Binbury motte and bailey castle survives comparatively well. The summit of the motte and the area of the bailey have remained largely undisturbed and contain archaeological remains and relating environmental evidence, within the landscape in which it was located. Archaeological and documentary evidence from this site will give an insight into the construction of this particular form of bailey and its use, as well as the economy and way of life of the inhabitants
HAUNTINGS
This has been investigated by GhostConnections but no firm evidence to report, other than Clarvoyant results, which is available from them, upon requested.
LEEDS CASTLE - MAIDSTONE ME17
Shrouded in mystery and legend, Leeds Castle has survived for 1,000 years and today is one of the greatest buildings of the British Isles. One of the most ancient castles in Kent, is one of England's most picturesque. It sits on two small islands in a tranquil lake.
The Castle has been a Norman stronghold; the private property of six of England’s medieval queens; a palace used by Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon; a Jacobean country house; a Georgian mansion; an elegant early 20th century retreat for the influential and famous; and in the 21st century, it has become one of the most visited historic buildings in Britain.
In 1517 King Henry VIII makes significant improvements to the Castle buildings and transforms it into a Royal Palace for his Queen Catherine of Aragon
In 1618, the owner, Warham St. Leger sells Leeds Castle to Sir Richard Smythe, in order to finance his voyage with Sir Walter Raleigh to Guyana.
In 1632 Smythe builds a large Jacobean house in place of the jumble of earlier buildings at the north end of the large island, where the New Castle is today.
In 1665, the Culpeper Family lease the Gloriette to the Government to house Dutch prisoners from the Anglo-Dutch War. The prisoners start a fire and the Gloriette is partially destroyed.
In 1749, the appearance of the Jacobean house is drastically altered when its owner, Robert Fairfax decides to makes it look like Strawberry Hill in Twickenham.
In 1821, Fiennes Wykeham Martin, inherits the Castle and immediately begins construction work by demolishing the Jacobean House and building a ‘New Castle’ in a more fitting medieval style.
In 1939, during World War II, the Castle plays an important role in a secret project developing weapons and safety systems. It also hosts many important meetings including one between Field Marshal Montgomery and Sir Bertram Ramsay.
In 1974, the then owner, Lady Baillie dies and bequeaths the castle and 500 acre park to the nation under the Trusteeship of the Leeds Castle Foundation and it was opened to the public.
For a full timeline of the history of the Castle
HAUNTINGS
There is said to be ghostly big dog, described to be a black Labrador, that has been haunting the castle since the 15th Century and it is said if you look into the eyes of the Phantom dog, something terrible will happen to you. Residents from the past have reported seeing the dog, which vanished through walls. There is also reported to be two more ghostly dogs seen by witnesses more recently. One a small white dog and a much larger dark dog. These have been associated with Lady Baillie, who owned a white Terrier called Smudge and a Great Dane called Boots.
There are also reports of a ghostly woman seen gliding through the rooms and another female, seen in a long flowing dress, brushing her hair, her ghost is often seen in the Queens room and in the grounds of the Castle, some seem to think it is the ghost of the wife of Lord Fairfax.
THURNHAM CASTLE (ALSO KNOWN AS GODARD'S CASTLE) - WHITE HORSE WOOD COUNTRY PARK DETLING ME14
Constructed by Robert of Thurnham in the reign of Henry II on a hill on the edge of the North Downs, now within the boundaries of White Horse Wood Country Park.
One side of the bailey wall still stands 10 foot high and originally it enclosed an area of about a quarter of an acre. There is no visible stonework on the large motte. In the 12th century, the site belonged to the de Say family and then the Thurnhams. The sons of the builder, Stephen Thurnham and his younger brother Robert Thurnham crusaded with Richard the Lion-heart and became trusted subjects, with Robert given command of the English fleet and later made governor of Cyprus, while his brother Stephen was given the honour of escorting the Queen Mother. A charter in 1215 mentions the lands within the walls of the castle.
By the early 19th century it was in ruins. The site has been acquired by Kent County Council and included in the White Horse Millennium wood and Country Park Project. Much of the site has been cleared of undergrowth and public access has been provided.
HAUNTINGS
There is a Ghost tale of a seven foot tall man dressed in a green and blue tunic runs around, brushing up against visitors, waving his arms wildly. He has no face, but he does have hair, which is cut short.