SEVENOAKS 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 Sevenoaks.
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
CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE - HILL HOATH ROAD, CHIDDINGSTONE, EDENBRIDGE TN8
A Grade II listed building, situated in the village of Chiddingstone, near Edenbridge, Kent, 35 miles south of London and in the upper valley of the River Medway.
The first building to occupy the site of the castle was a timber-framed dwelling, inhabited from the early 16th century by Richard Streatfeild, an iron master and wool merchant. Little remains of this first structure as, in 1679, Henry Streatfeild (1639-1719) had the house rebuilt in red brick in the Restoration style. The building was known as High Street House or High Street Mansion since it fronted the village high street. Re-modelling of the grounds surrounding the house, in the 19th century resulted in the current diversion of the road through the village.
In the early 19th century, Henry Streatfeild (1757-1829), the son of Henry Streatfeild (1706-1762) and Lady Anne Sidney, had the house rebuilt in the Gothic style, however the design was not completed and in 1835, Streatfeild's son, also Henry Streatfeild (1784-1852), engaged an architect to carry out further work.
From the early 16th to the end of the 19th Century it was the seat of the Streatfield family, now renamed Chiddingstone Castle, until it was sold to Lord Astor in 1938, but the family did not live there after 1900.
During the Second World War, the castle hosted members of the Canadian Forces before becoming Long Dene School until 1954.
In 1955, the castle was purchased by Denys Eyre Bower (1905-1977), in order to display his collections. Bower initially worked as a bank clerk before taking over Cavendish Hood antiques dealers in Baker Street, London in 1943. The redevelopment of Baker Street led to Bower moving to Chiddingstone Castle, where he intended to show his collections to the public. However, in 1957 Bower was arrested and put on trial for attempted murder of his girlfriend and attempted suicide and found guilty with a sentence to life imprisonment. Released in 1962 after successful efforts by solicitor Ruth Eldridge to prove a miscarriage of justice.
Bower returned to Chiddingstone Castle which, with the help of Eldridge and her sister Mary, he continued to open to visitors until his death in 1977.
Bower left the castle and collections to the nation and the Denys Eyre Bower Bequest was formed, the castle and its 35 acres (140,000 m2) of grounds have been held in trust for the nation and both are open to the public.
HAUNTINGS
Every castle has a ghost story or two, and Chiddingstone is no exception. The ghost of a lady, a member of the Streatfeild family, is said to roam the castle, Ann, who was the daughter of the Earl of Leicester. She married into the Streatfeild family in the 1700's and was said to be fond of the castle. Witnesses have reported seeing her ghost, riding her horse along the little lane that leads up to the castle, recognisable by her three corner hat and riding habit.
The other apparition is more famous and that is the ghost of Anne Boleyn, 2nd wife of Henry VIII. witnesses have seen her on the little bridge which crosses the river Eden in the castle grounds and under the great oak tree, where it is said that Henry courted her. Her ghost is said to normally appear during the Christmas period. Anne had connections with Chiddingstone, as her father bought property in the village in the early 1500's
CHARTWELL - MAPLETON RD, WESTERHAM TN16
The origins of the estate reach back to the 14th century. In 1382 the property, then called Well-street, was sold by William-at-Well. It passed through various owners and in 1836 was auctioned, as a substantial, brick-built manor. In 1848, it was purchased by John Campbell Colquhoun . The Campbell Colquhouns greatly enlarged the house and the advertisement for its sale at the time of Churchill's purchase described it as an "imposing" mansion.
Winston Churchill bought the property in September 1922 and lived there, on and off for over forty years, until shortly before his death in January 1965. In the 1930's, when Churchill was excluded from political office, Chartwell became the centre of his world. he would gather around the dining table with those who could assist his campaign against German re-armament and the British government's response of appeasement, He composed speeches and wrote books in his study and in his garden, he built walls, constructed lakes and painted.
During the Second World War Chartwell was largely unused, the Churchills returning after he lost the 1945 election. In 1946, when financial constraints forced Churchill to again consider selling Chartwell, it was acquired by the National Trust with funds raised by a consortium of Churchill's friends led by Lord Camrose, on condition that the Churchills retain a life-tenancy.
In 1953, when again Prime Minister, the house became Churchill's refuge and his retreat when he suffered a devastating stroke but In October 1964, he left for the last time, dying at his London home, 28, Hyde Park Gate, on 24 January 1965.
After Churchill's death, Lady Churchill surrendered her lease on the house and it was opened to the public by the Trust in 1966.
A Grade I listed building, for its historical significance rather than its architectural merit,
The Churchill family loved Chartwell. It was a home and a place that truly inspired Sir Winston. The house is still much as it was when the family lived here, with pictures, books and personal mementos, evoking the career and wide-ranging interests of this influential family. The studio is home to the largest single collection of Churchill's paintings.
There is a popular self-service restaurant offers fresh produce from the Chartwell kitchen garden, and they have a shop that stocks Churchill memorabilia and other interesting local ranges.
They offer free talks and tours on selected days, studio talks and children's trails and activities.
HAUNTINGS
Many visitors have reported the occasional whiff of cigar smoke emanating from the rooms as they tour the building and others claim to have seen him sitting in the armchair, or did they too, see the ghost of his father as Churchill wrote in the most fascinating ghost story associated with Chartwell, which comes from Churchill himself. In an article entitled ‘The Dream’.
EYNSFORD CASTLE - GIBSON PLACE, EYNSFORD DA4
The castle was founded shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. There was an earlier, Saxon building on the site, composed of a timber watchtower on an artificial motte. No evidence of this can be seen today.
The Castle is a rare survival of an early Norman ‘enclosure castle’, which remained unaltered by later building work. The stonework of the curtain wall, in part still 30 feet high, dates from around 1100, built over an 11th century timber motte & bailey. It was begun by William de Eynsford I, a knight and sheriff of Kent, who Thomas Becket is reputed to have excommunicated but the excommunication was cancelled by King Henry II and the issue became part of the quarrel that led to Becket's murder in 1170.
The impressive curtain wall was built between 1085 and 1087, In 1130 the wall was heightened and a gate-tower was built to strengthen the castle defences. A hall, which provided accommodation for the Eynsford family, and associated buildings were also erected inside the castle walls about this time. These buildings were reconstructed in about 1250, following a fire. The castle was later the subject of a hotly disputed inheritance when the line of the Eynsford family, owners of the castle, died out in 1261 and the castle and its estate were divided between the Kirkeby and Criol families, causing much dispute. The conflict reached a climax in 1312 when Nicholas de Criol and his supporters broke in and vandalised Eynsford Castle as a protest against Judge William Inge, who had bought the castle from the Kirkeby family. Doors and windows were broken down, much damage was caused and cattle were let loose. Afterwards the castle was never lived in again and by the 18th century, many of the buildings had fallen into disrepair, only being used only as stables and kennels for hunting dogs.
Eventually the castle passed into the ownership of the Hart Dyke family of nearby Lullingstone Castle. It was used for some time as a manorial court, but the buildings gradually fell into disrepair.
By the mid-18th century the castle was being used as stables and kennels for hunting hounds.
Antiquarians became interested in Eynsford Castle in 1835 and An architect Edward Cresy, was employed to clear the site of the 18th-century stables and kennel buildings. Mr Cresy published a survey of the ruins which recorded several features of the castle which have since crumbled.
The castle was taken into state guardianship in 1948. It was excavated by Stuart Rigold in the 1950's and 1960's, with further excavations by Valerie Horsman in the 1980's.
HAUNTINGS
The castle is been reported as haunted. Witnesses have reported a particular cold spot in the earthworks of the empty moat and there have been reports of manifestations but not clear on what these manifestations were or the location of any further info on them, although in Jan 2018 when a father taking his son on a walk around captured what is thought to be a black figure, possibly a monk within the castle, more details on that report here. This has been disputed, so we will let you do your research on this one and decide for yourselves whether it is to de-bunk or not as SkepticBoots has.
HEVER CASTLE - HEVER RD, HEVER, EDENBRIDGE TN8
Situated in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge, 30 miles south-east of London, England.
Built around 1270, Hever Castle then consisted of a walled bailey, surrounded by a moat. In 1460, a wealthy London merchant named Henry Bullen purchased the castle and converted it to a Tudor dwelling. His son Thomas Bullen, changed his surname to Boleyn and later married Elizabeth Howard, the daughter of the 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Thomas and Elizabeth had many children together, and one of which was Anne Boleyn. It’s not known whether Anne was born in the castle or not, but the likelihood is that she was. It was here were Henry VIII first laid eyes on her, during an affair with Anne’s sister, Mary, whilst he was still married to Catherine of Aragon. Henry was sure Anne would provide nothing but a token resistance. However, Anne was strong-willed, and had other ideas. If Henry wanted her, he would have to show his commitment and love to her by marrying her first. This began a game of cat and mouse, were Henry fought for her affection.
Hever later passed into the ownership of another of Henry VIII’s wives, Anne of Cleves, and from 1557 onwards it was owned by a number of families including the Waldegraves, the Humphreys and the Meade Waldos.
Gradually it fell into decline before William Waldorf Astor invested time, money and imagination in restoring the Castle. He commissioned the ’Tudor Village’, now called the ‘Astor Wing’ and the construction of the magnificent gardens and lake. At Hever, his wealth and vision enabled him to create a lavish family home that also indulged his passion for history and its mazes, gardens, and lake. There is an annual events programme with assorted events, including jousting tournaments and archery displays in the summer months and an annual patchwork and quilting exhibition in September. The castle has also become the venue for a triathlon. The Castles to Country Houses exhibition contains a collection of 1/12 scale model houses ranging from the medieval to Victorian periods.
The castle offers three floors containing antique furniture, Anne Boleyn's prayer books, instruments of torture, and a large collection of Tudor paintings. There is also a museum of the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry.
The remains of the original country house timbers can still be seen within the stone walls of the fortification, while the gatehouse is the only original part of the castle. It has the oldest working original portcullis in England.
The grounds of the castle include a yew maze, planted in 1904. There is also a water maze, opened in 1999, the object of which is to get to the folly at the centre without getting wet, while in the children's adventure playground there is a tower maze (currently undergoing reconstruction). The castle gardens contain a wide range of features, including an Italianate garden (including Fernery), rose gardens, herb garden, and topiary.
HAUNTINGS
It’s the Ghostly apparition of Anne’s Boleyn ghost that has been witnessed here many times throughout the years. It has been seen wandering the gardens of the castle, perhaps she is returning to a place where she spent many happy years, and from where she began her journey that would change the face of history for England.
If you want to catch a glimpse of her ghost, it’s believed she appears most often on Christmas Eve.
There has been a report of the apparition of a male, seen in one of the castles bedroom, some say that it is King Henry VIII, while others say its an angry old man.
The long gallery is said to be haunted by a unknown unhappy ghost who wanders the gallery, often groaning and who likes to throw objects about and there has been a report of a weird sighting, a male on horseback in a room on the second floor of the castle. As well as the ghosts, many bumps bangs and groans have been heard.
Anne Boleyn's father Thomas Boleyn's ghost has been seen in the village travelling in a ghostly horse-drawn carriage.
IGHTHAM MOTE - MOTE RD, IVY HATCH, SEVENOAKS TN15
Nestled at the bottom of a path sits a 14th-century timber-framed manor house, on its own little island surrounded by water. Built around 700 years ago, this house has seen many changes and has been owned by medieval knights, courtiers to Henry VIII and high-society Victorians. It is the most complete medieval country house in England. it has a painted Tudor ceiling, a tranquil lake, tower-views - and the only Grade I listed dog kennel in England!....
The original builder, although unknown, was clearly someone of wealth. The first known owner was that of Thomas Cawne (also shown in the records as Couen, de Coven, Cawen) Thomas was the of Richard de Coven, a tailor from Staffordshire. a ‘town gentry’ and relatively well off.
As a young man, Thomas was a mischief maker. In 1345, he, along with his brothers and 4 other men was charged with the serious offence of hunting and poaching deer in John de Sutton’s park at Sedgely in Staffordshire. They were also charged with stealing money, and the crime of assaulting de Sutton’s servant. Leaving his family home in Staffordshire, the ambitious young Thomas Cawen decided to seek his fortune in the military rather than follow in the family business. There is no evidence of his early military service, but by utilising the political instability in France during the 1350's to his advantage, he became a prominent soldier. By 1357, as captain of the fortress of the Neuberg, just outside Rouen in Normandy, he had a pivotal foothold in the region. The business of war often required people to travel between the capital and the channel, which made Kent an attractive place to live. It was in Kent that he married Lora Moraunt, daughter of Sir Thomas Moraunt of Chevening. They settled at Ightham Mote with their two children, Robert and Thomas. After Sir Thomas Cawne died, his eldest son Robert inherited Ightham Mote. He was certainly a character – he was sent to the Tower of London for trying to kill his wife Marjory by throwing her into a well. He was eventually pardoned by the king, but little is known of him afterwards.
Nicholas Haute was the next man at Ightam, he became one of the wealthiest men in the county, aged just 16 years old, as heir to his grandfathers estates, but it wasn't until 1379, when he became 21, that he could inherit the knighthood. His mother retained a lifetime income from the family estate, so it wasn't until her death in 1391 that he received his full inheritance.
In 1389, he married Alice Cawen, the widow of Richard Cawen who had eventually inherited Ightham Mote from his brother Robert. After Alice died, Sir Nicholas Haute married Eleanor Tyrell, thus allying himself with another important landowning family. Throughout his life, he held important offices both in the county and in the King's service, and served as Sheriff of Kent, and as Member of Parliament for the county. Sir Nicholas Haute died 1416 and his eldest son William Haute inherited the family estates, including Ightham Mote and although he probably lived at Bishopbourne, near Canterbury. In c.1419, William married Margaret, the daughter of Sir Hugh Berwick, bringing more land and income into the Haute family. Margaret died in c.1427, and in 1429, William remarried. His second wife, Joan Woodville, was from another powerful family, and in 1469 history would see her become aunt to the Queen of England. As a condition of the marriage, William agreed to disinherit his daughter by his first wife, although he did say, she didn't have to join a convent.
Richard Haute then inherited Ightham Mote in 1462. As cousin to Elizabeth Woodville, who married King Edward IV in 1464, this close connection to the royal family made Richard an important figure in the county and at court and as his status rose, Richard embarked on the programme of building works, which would turn the 15th century manor of Ightham Mote into a property of considerable distinction. A fashionable home with inner and outer courtyards, reception rooms and guest accommodation of very high quality. In 1483, after being accused of rebellion, his estates were seized by order of King Richard III and Ightham Mote was given to James Haute for good service. However, in 1485, Richard Haute was pardoned and his estates returned.
If you thought Nicholas was young to have inherited at 16, Edward was a mere 11 years old in 1487 when he inherited Ightham Mote. Edward either did not have a head for business, lived outside his means or perhaps a combination of both, as he amassed large debts. In 1514, some of his property was confiscated, whilst he had to sell other properties in 1518. He mortgaged Ightham Mote, but was forced to sell later that year, and a little while later he found himself in Ludgate debtors prison before fleeing to Ireland.
Then we have Richard Clement...A self- made man, with a lot of influential friends that saw him move from a ‘gentry’ birth in East Sussex, to the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. As a page in the Privy chamber of Henry VII. In Northampton, Clement took the role of landowner and was also a ‘Commissioner of Sewers’. Back at Court he was a ‘Gentleman Usher’ and he fought at the Battle of the Spurs in 1513. By 1521, he was back in Kent, purchasing Ightham Mote for £400, with the assistance of a consortium of local friends and important names of Kent. During the 1520's he embarked on a frenzy of building work at The Mote, stained glass windows, the painted ceiling in the guest suite, all to show allegiance to Henry VIII, or perhaps to expect a Royal visitor.
In November 1528, his wife died, but by 1530 he had acquired the hand of the Lady Anne Grey – widow of Lord John Grey, hoping to gain further connections at court. An ambitious man, he was keen to react to any local disturbance or disorder. He used his knowledge of the law throughout his land purchases and sales, always to try to gain his advantage. And make his name known, so by 1529 he had done sufficient notable works to ensure that he was knighted by Henry VIII. He was appointed ‘Commissioner for the Peace’ a number of times, firstly in 1531. Something of an irony, when in 1534, he summoned 200 men to ‘peacekeeping’ duties at Shipbourne, ending up in the Star Chamber as a defendant and being dispatched to the Fleet! He was also present at the magnificent Coronation of Anne Boleyn in 1533, then had a hand in her demise in 1536.
He died in 1538, making provision for his ‘bastard’ daughters, and others, leaving the residue of his estate to his wife, the Lady Anne Grey, and was buried next to his first wife in Ightham Church
The Selby family owned Ightham Mote for nearly 300 years (1591-1889). Originally from Northumberland, the early Selbys were law enforcement officers on the borders between England and Scotland in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Dame Dorothy was granted permission to worship at home as her husband, suffering from gout in his later years, found it increasingly difficult to get to the parish church. This was controversial at the time as the Selbys had fallen out with the local minister, Mr Grimes, who accused Sir William of favouring Catholics.
Sir William and Dame Dorothy Selby had no children, and according to the first Sir William’s will, Ightham Mote passed to various Selby cousins. During this period, the Selby men mostly married into local families – the Rayneys of Great Comp, the Amhursts of Bayhall in Pembury, the Giffords of Pennis in Fawkenham and the Westons of Willesley in Cranbrook.
By the end of the 18th century, Ightham Mote had passed to more distant cousins – the Brownes of Suffolk and Shropshire, who changed their name to Selby in order to inherit the house.
Thomas Selby, the owner of Ightham Mote from 1791–1820, disinherited his only son Charles, who had become a missionary in the Isles of Scilly. Why was he disinherited,it appears that he may have upset some important people on Scilly, as well as fathering an illegitimate son. Thomas, Charles and his sister all died in 1820 and Thomas’s wife inherited a life interest until 1845.
In 1845, Ightham Mote passed to an even more distant cousin, Prideaux John Selby, who was a well-respected naturalist living in Northumberland. The contents of Ightham Mote were sold, with the proceeds of sale benefiting the children of Charles, the disinherited son.
The Victorian era saw Prideaux’s daughter Marianne in residence at Ightham Mote, along with her second husband, Major Robert Luard-Selby, she commissioned the architect Norman Shaw to work on the Great Hall.
By 1889, after almost 300 years, the Selby family had run out of money. After the deaths of Marianne and her son and heir, the son by her first marriage, the executors sold the Ightham Mote estate.
Charles Henry Robinson left Ightham Mote to the National trust in 1985 and after 15 years of renovations, it was opened to the public and hosts may activities throughout the year.
HAUNTINGS
There is said to be a ghost of a Grey lady, one story is the Staunch Catholic Dame Dorothy Selby. It is said that she heard about the Gun-power plot of 1605 to blow up the houses of Parliament by Guy Fawkes and sent a letter to warn her cousin William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle not to attend parliament on the 5th. This letter fell into the wrong hands, resulting in the plot being uncovered and arrests made and it is said that unhappy friends of the plotters heard about her letter and in revenge, they bricked her up alive in secret at the manor and left her to die. In 1870 the owners of the manor, felt a coldness in the tower bedroom and asked workmen to investigate, it was during this time that they discovered behind a small space behind the wall panels, the skeleton of a woman within it and still to this day the tower bedroom is said to be unearthly cold.
Another story is that in 1552 Sir Thomas Browne was resident there and it is said that his priest had an affair with one of the servant girls and the priest committed suicide following the scandal when the affair was exposed, so to punish the girl Sir Thomas had the girl bricked up in the wall of the manor, so some believe the grey lady is not the Dame but the serving girl instead.
There are other stories of undesirable visitors visiting the manor would be dropped through a trap door into the darkness beneath it and left to die and the room above the main gate, is now said to be haunted by one of those unwanted visitors.
KNOLE PLACE & GARDEN - SEVENOAKS, KENT, TN15
One of England’s most important, complete, yet fragile historic houses, set at the heart of Kent’s last remaining medieval deer parks. One-time palace to archbishops and former royal property of the Tudor dynasty, Knole, in Sevenoaks, was a place of extraordinary wealth and grandeur. Now over 500 years old, this National Trust house wears the marks of six centuries of history with quiet dignity....The house apparently ranks in the top five of England's largest houses, occupying a total of four acres. Its grade I listing reflects its mix of late-medieval to Stuart structures, and particularly its central facade and state rooms.
The earliest recorded owner of the core of the estate, in the 1290's, was Robert de Knole. However, nothing is known of any property he had on the estate. Two other families, the Grovehursts and the Ashburnhams, are known to have held the estate in succession until the 1360's, and the manor of Knole is first mentioned in 1364.
In 1419, the estate, which then spread over 800 acres, had been bought by Thomas Langley, bishop of Durham, and, by 1429, he had extended it to 1500 acres. The estate is said to have remained in the hands of the Langley family, until the mid-1440's when it had been acquired by James Fiennes, first Lord Say(e) and Sele. The circumstances of this transfer are not known, but it is clear that Lord Saye was also enlarging the estate by further, sometimes forcible, purchases of adjoining parcels of land. For example, in 1448 one Reginald Peckham was forced to sell land at Seal (at the north-eastern end of the current estate) to Saye 'on threat of death
Lord Saye and Sele seems to have begun a building project at Knole, but it was incomplete by his death in 1450. His ruthless exploitation of his powerful position in Kent was a motivating factor in the Jack Cade Rebellion; The lord was executed on the authority of a hastily-assembled commission initiated by Henry VI in response to the demands of Cade rebels when they arrived in London.
James Fiennes' heir, William, second baron Saye and Sele, sold the property for 400 marks (£266 13s 4d) in 1456 to Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury. He already had a substantial property in the area, Otford Palace, but the drier, healthier site of Knole attracted him and Bourchier probably began building work by making substantial renovations of an existing house. Between 1456 and 1486, Bourchier and his bailiff for the Otford bailiwick, John Grymesdyche, oversaw substantial building work on the current house. The remodelled house must have been suitable for the archbishop by 1459, when he first stayed there, but he based himself there increasingly more in his later years, particularly after 1480, when, at the age of about 69, he appointed a suffragan. In following years, Knole House continued to be enlarged, with the addition of a large courtyard, now known as Green Court, and a new entrance tower. He took advantage of the political stability that followed the restoration of Edward IV in 1471 to invest further in his property and he had enclosed the park with a pale to make a deer park In 1480, Bourchier gave the house to the See of Canterbury. - John Kemp
After Bourchier's death in 1486, Knole was occupied by the next four archbishops: John Morton (1487–1500), Sir Thomas More appeared in revels there at the court of Archbishop Morton, whose cognizance (motto) of Benedictus Deus appears above and to either side of a large late Tudor fireplace here.
Henry VII was an occasional visitor, as in early October and midwinter 1490.
his successor was Henry Deane (1501–1503) and then William Warham (1504–1532)
Henry VIII used to visit Archbishop Warham to hunt deer. After the death of Warham and before the appointment of his successor, Henry found his properties in nearby Otford and Knole useful residences for his daughter Mary, at the time of the protracted divorce from her mother, Catherine of Aragon. She was at Knole from 27 November 1532 – 5 March 1533.[24]
Warham's successor as Archbishop, Thomas Cranmer, who acquired all the temporaries of the see of Canterbury. However, these brought with them substantial debts and complex demands of land management, set against a backdrop of massive land transfers associated with the dissolution of the monasteries and broader assaults on church wealth. Cranmer was, therefore, unable to withstand repeated demands from Henry VIII for exchanges of land. This was a long-term process stretching between 1536 and 1546. Henry wanted Knole, specifically, for example as a deer park. In 1537 the manor of Knole, along with five other manors and a number of Chantries largely forming the archbishop's bailiwick of Otford, were 'exchanged' with Henry VIII. In return, Cranmer received a package primarily consisting of former abbeys and priories between Canterbury and Dover.
Knole was granted to Edward Seymour, the duke of Somerset, in August 1547, at the start of his nephew Edward VI's reign but, following Somerset's execution in 1552, it reverted to the crown. Mary gave the residence back to her Archbishop of Canterbury, Reginald Pole but, with their deaths in 1558, the house reverted to the crown.
In the early 1560's, Queen Elizabeth I gave Knole to Robert Dudley, but he returned it in 1566. However, he had already granted a lease (1 February 1566) to one Thomas Rolf. Under this the 'manor and mansion-house' of Knole and the park, with the deer, and also Panthurst Park and other lands, were demised to the latter for the term of ninety-nine years at a rent of £200. The landlord was to do all repairs, and reserved the very unusual right (to himself and his heirs and assigns) to occupy the mansion-house as often as he or they chose to do so, but this right did not extend to the gate-house, nor to certain other premises. The tenant was given power to alter or rebuild the mansion-house at his pleasure. Meanwhile, Elizabeth had possibly granted the estate to her cousin Thomas Sackville who, at that time, had the title of Lord Buckhurst.
There was certainly competition at that time for the Knole estate. Mr Rolf died very soon after, and the residue of the lease was bought by a wealthy local lawyer, John Lennard (of Chevening). He had gradually built up a network of properties around Sevenoaks, including the manor of Chevening, and adjoining property in the parishes of Knockholt and Halstead, all just to the north of Sevenoaks. Lennard had already pressurised Rolf to sell the lease before his sudden death but, at the same point, Lord Buckhurst was also competing for the lease. Knole was a significant addition to Lennard's local land-holdings when it was confirmed, around 1570. However, Buckhurst was still able to insist upon some rights on the estate, including the ownership of at least some of the deer in the park. John moved to Knole, but gave his son Sampson, Lord Dacre's son-in-law, a sub-lease. The Knole estate was worth a great deal to Sampson, bringing him in 1599 rents worth £218, 6s and 8d. One of Sampson Lennard's daughters, Margaret, married Sir Thomas Waller, at one time lieutenant of Dover Castle and the younger son of an important Kent family, with their seat at Groombridge. An unusual term in the marriage covenant stipulated that Margaret and Thomas should live at Knole which is where Margaret gave birth to her son William.The baptism is recorded in the Sevenoaks parish register for 3 December. In 1613, William inherited his father's baronetcy, becoming Sir William Waller. He later commanded a parliamentary army with some distinction during the Civil War.
Since Dudley had originally granted a 99-year lease, Thomas Sackville could only take it back by buying out the remaining 51 years of the lease for £4000, which he did in 1603. Lennard was happy to sell, not only because of his mounting debts but also because he wished to gain the Dacre title, which he did in 1604 from a commission headed by the lord treasurer, Thomas Sackville. This is unlikely to have been a coincidence.
Thomas Sackville made it the aristocratic treasure house for the Sackville family, who were prominent and influential in court circles. Knole's showrooms were designed to impress visitors and to display the Sackville family’s wealth and status.
Thomas's son, Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset, took over the titles and estates after his death He did not enjoy Knole for long, since he died in January 1609 and his two sons, in turn, inherited the title and estates, first Richard Sackville, 3rd Earl of Dorset (1589–1624) and then the much more politically-significant Edward Sackville, 4th Earl of Dorset (1590-1652). None of these earls lived permanently at Knole. In the 2nd earl's case, this was no doubt due to the renovations. The 3rd Earl lived mostly at court, though he is known to have kept his hunting horses and hounds there. His wife, Lady Anne Clifford, did live there for a time during the couple's conflict over her inheritance from her father, George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland.
In 1623, a large part of Knole House burnt down.
Edward, was a relatively moderate royalist and was away from Knole in the summer of 1642, when he and his cousin Sir John Sackville fell under suspicion of stockpiling arms and preparing local men to fight for Charles I during the English Civil War. The rumours of the cache of arms reached Parliament in an intercepted letter for which Sir John was notionally the source. On Sunday 14 August 1642, Parliament sent three troops of horse under Colonel Edwin Sandys, a member of a Kentish puritan family, to seize these arms from Knole. Sir John was in the congregation for the parish Sunday service and Sandys waited with his troops outside the church until it had finished. Local people tried to rescue him but they quickly judged that the troops were too strong for them, and Sir John was arrested and taken to the Fleet prison.
Sandys' troops then moved to Knole where, according to the Earl of Dorset's steward, they caused damage to the value of £186, and the Armes they have taken away from there being five wagon loads of them but in fact, the arms were largely of more interest to antiquarians than to soldiers. They included, for example, thirteen 'old French pistols whereof four have locks and the other nine have none. Sandys claimed that he had seized 'complete armes for 500 or 600 men', but this was untrue. Nevertheless, the House of Lords resolved that 'such arms as are fit to be made use of for the Service of the Kingdom are to be employed'. Edward accepted the seizures and damage to Knole as an inevitable part of the Civil War, as he explained in a speech to Charles I and his peers in Oxford, in 1642: 'For my particular, in these wars I have suffered as much as any, my Houses have been searched, my Armes taken and my son and heir committed to prison; yet I shall wave these discourtesies, because I know there was a necessity they should be so.'
Parliament established County Committees to govern the counties under its control. For the first 12 to 18 months of its operation, the Kent Committee was based at Knole, until its obvious disadvantage, being at one end of a very large county, led to its removal first to Aylesford and then to Maidstone. Apart from the Committee, the county treasury was based here, along with a bodyguard of between 75 and 150 men and the so-called 'Household'. To provision its varied occupants, the Committee not only used the Knole estate but also rented fields from local landowners, including, surprisingly, Lady Sackville (Sir John's wife).
When Edward Sackville died in 1652, his son Richard inherited not only the earldom, but estates in substantial debt, not least owing to fines imposed by Parliament for his father's role in the Civil War. He practised quiet retrenchment, despite taking part in some public work following the Restoration of Charles II, including membership of the commission for the trial of the regicides. However, his marriage to Lady Frances Cranfield, daughter of Lionel Cranfield, was important for Knole. When her brother died, she inherited the Middlesex estates, including Copt Hall in Essex. Richard died at Knole on 27 August 1677. His son, Charles, the 6th Earl of Dorset (1643–1706), sold Copt Hall in 1701. Many of the contents were then moved to Knole, substantially enriching the collection. These include the copies by Daniel Mytens of Raphael cartoons in the Cartoon Gallery and many portraits and pieces of furniture. Along with John Frederick Sackville, the 3rd duke of Dorset (1745–1799), Charles is now seen as one of the two principal collectors responsible for the remarkable holdings of Knole House.
Over more than 400 years, Sackville's descendants, the Earls and Dukes of Dorset and Barons Sackville have owned or lived in the property ever since. Rebuilding and then furnishing Knole in two further bursts of activity. First, at the end of the 17th century, when the 6th Earl acquired Stuart furniture and textiles from royal palaces, and again at the end of the 18th century, with the 3rd Duke's art collection.
The Sackvilles gradually withdrew into the heart of the house, leaving many rooms unused and treasures covered. This helps to explain the relative lack of modernisation at Knole (central heating was never installed in the showrooms, for example) and the survival of its collections.
Vita Sackville-West, (1892 – 1962) was an English poet, novelist, and garden designer. who grew up there, recounts a legend that it is a calendar house: 'its seven courtyards correspond to the days of the week, its fifty-two staircases to the weeks of the year, its three hundred and sixty-five rooms to the days of the year, but unknown if anyone has ever been troubled to verify it
It is currently undergoing an extensive conservation project, to restore and develop the structures of the buildings, and thus help to conserve its important collections. The surrounding deer park has also survived with varying degrees of management in the 400 years since 1600.
Nowadays, the house is mostly cared for and opened by the National Trust, which has owned the house since it was donated by Charles Sackville-West, 4th Baron Sackville in 1947; however, the Trust owns only the house and an adjoining modest park – overall 52 acres. More than half the house has been kept by the Sackville-Wests Lord Robert Sackville-West, 7th Baron Sackville or his family trust own the remaining gardens and estate but permit commercialised access and certain charitable and sporting community events.
HAUNTINGS
One ghost is named ‘Black Knight’ or as he was otherwise known, Richard Sackville the 3rd Earl of Dorset. Testimonies from the past have seen his ghost ‘…roaming the medieval quarters of the house, said to be whenever a misfortune is about to befall Knole and when things are well at Knole he can be seen riding silently on horseback among the leafy shadows. The nickname ‘Black Knight’ is probably derived from his portrait that hangs in the ballroom where he is fitted head to toe in black medieval finery. but he was in fact a most colourful figure in his day. While at Knole he lived a life of splendour and vanity, fully indulging his passion for cock fighting, greyhound racing, mistresses, and fashionable clothing.
The second resident ghosts is said to be of Lady Anne Clifford, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Cumberland (1590-1676) and wife of the 'Black Knight' who is said to walk the dark avenue of chestnut and oak trees to the north of Knole’s grand gate house. After Richard's death Lady Anne had to endure his shame of his indebted legacy for a further 52 years, and it’s believed that it was her hatred of the man that has kept her spirit at Knole all these years.
Then finally we have the the watcher in the archbishop's garden, next to St Nicholas Church (opposite the main entrance to Knole) a Gardener is said 'to always get the feeling of being nervous or unsettled here but its something you just get used to. However if you are still here when it gets dark you often get a distinct and sometimes overpowering feeling of being watched. Several times I have had to finish what I was doing to go and work elsewhere in the larger gardens…”
This area is likely to have been consecrated ground and therefore used for burial. So the ‘garden’ may have been the last resting place for many of Sir William Fiennes ancestors and who of those wouldn’t be upset by the selling off of the ancestral home for a quick profit or now work and associated excavation has been undertaken by the National Trust on the original Manor house, new information from Knole’s history is beginning to coming to light. Evidence has been revealed here that could also point to our ghostly watchers origins, as a number of so called ‘cellars’ complete with heavy doors and iron locks have been found and these may have been used when catholic discipline was needed and many so called heretics may have ended their days here after suffering the misery of forced confinement in these damp and squalid conditions...maybe we will never know!
PENSHURST PLACE, PENSHURST, TONBRIDGE, KENT TN11
The village is situated between the market town of Tonbridge and the spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells but Penshurst now comes under the District of Sevenoaks. The village grew up around Penshurst Place, the ancestral home of the Sidney family. There are many Tudor-looking buildings in the village, although some are Victorian.
Little is known of Penshurst prior to the 13th century, when Sir Stephen de Penchester owned the estate. Sir Stephen was the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and was buried in Penshurst village church, where you can still see an effigy of him in the Sidney chapel.
In 1338, Sir John de Pulteney, already the owner of two large town houses, wanted a country estate where he could hunt. Penshurst – conveniently located just half a day’s ride from London. Penshurst fitted the bill and, having acquired the estate, he set about building a suitable manor house. The house was completed in 1341 and much of it remains in its original state today.
After the Peasant’s Revolt in 1381 and with the threat of foreign invasion as his spur, in 1392, while in the hands of Sir John Devereux, (the black Prince) he set about enclosing the Penshurst Place manor with a massive system of crenellated curtain walks and turrets, so creating a defended manor house.
In 1401, Penshurst Place fell into the hands of John, Duke of Bedford, King Henry IV’s third son and younger brother Henry V and in 1430, the second hall, set at the west corner of the original house is known as the Buckingham building, was built.
In 1435, after the death of the Duke of Bedford, Penshurst became the property of his younger brother, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester.
In 1441, Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, inherits Penshurst Place. He was the first of three successive Dukes of Buckingham to own the estate.
In 1460, Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, inherits Penshurst Place.
In 1483, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, inherits Penshurst Place. Buckingham’s display of wealth and power may have led to his downfall in later years.
In 1501, Henry Stafford the first Baron Stafford was born here.
In 1519 King Henry VIII arrived at Penshurst as the guest of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham – an event which the Duke saw fit to lavish using the staggering sum of £2,500 – over £1 million in today’s money. Henry had no male heir and saw Buckingham as a threat. Known as ‘the proud Buckingham’, he had a strong claim to the throne himself. Henry therefore found an excuse to have him tried for treason and beheaded.
As the estate of a traitor, Penshurst became the property of the Crown and from 1521 Henry VIII used it as a hunting lodge. He would visit his friend and kinsman of the Sidneys, Charles Brandon, Earl of Suffolk, whilst courting Anne Boleyn, his second wife and future Queen, whose family owned nearby Hever Castle. Penshurst Place was part of Henry’s divorce settlement with his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, and then briefly came into the hands of Sir Ralph Fane before he too was executed for treason. It was left to Henry’s son, King Edward VI, after Henry’s death.
In 1552 King Edward VI was keen to reward the services of his tutor and steward of his household, Sir William Sidney. He saw Penshurst Place as a fitting gift, and the house and its estate – located not far from the Sidney ironworks in Sussex – were given to William in 1552: thus began the long and fascinating history of the Sidney family at Penshurst Place.
In 1554 Sir Henry Sidney had spent his childhood at court as the constant companion of the young Prince Edward and on his accession as King Edward VI, Sir Henry remained his closest friend: legend has it that Edward died in his arms. Sir Henry also became one of the most faithful servants of Queen Elizabeth I. Henry made substantial additions to his house at Penshurst, with alterations to the Buckingham building, adding an attic storey and dividing the first-floor hall into a series of State Rooms, which are now known as the Queen Elizabeth and Tapestry Rooms
In 1586 Henry and Mary Sidney’s first child Philip, born in 1554, was to live only 31 years, from gangrene, after being shot in the thigh, during the Battle of Zutphen but in that short time he came to represent all the qualities and talent to which any Renaissance gentleman could aspire, a reputation which persists to this day. He was an accomplished poet and is justifiably praised for his literary work including ‘Arcadia’. Sir Philip married Frances, daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, Secretary of State for Elizabeth I. As such, he was afforded the honour of a State funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral, where he was buried. He was the first commoner to receive such a tribute, dying only a few months after his father, Sir Philip never took control of the Penshurst Place estate. It therefore passed to his brother Robert.
In 1599 Queen Elizabeth I first visits Penshurst Place. The Queen Elizabeth Room, as she often held audience there during her many visits.
In 1600 Penshurst Place, Sir Robert Sidney built the Long Gallery, a brick addition to the sequence of State Rooms.
In 1616 Penshurst’s most famous appearance in English literature came in the early 17th century with a poem by Ben Jonson. ‘To Penshurst’ is one of the finest examples of a country-house poem, in which ''the estate’s woodland, abundant fruit and game and generous hospitality are praised as aspects of a true family home''.
In 1626 Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester Inherits Penshurst after his father’s death and the Sidney family finances started to increase. He had 15 children, six of them sons. He was quite intellectual, and might have been a happier man had he been able to spend all his days among his books, yet he had a devotion to duty and took an active part in public life, holding a number of diplomatic posts.
In 1649 Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, also ambassador for King Charles I in Paris, was entrusted by Parliament after the execution of Charles I, to care for two of the late King’s children, Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Mary at Penshurst Place.
In 1677 Philip, 3rd Earl of Leicester, owned Penshurst Place, then in In 1698 Robert, 4th Earl of Leicester, owned Penshurst Place. This was followed by Philip, 5th Earl of Leicester in 1702. He died childless and Penshurst was inherited by his brother John, 6th Earl of Leicester in 1705. He remained unmarried and died in 1737 when the estate passed to his brother, Jocelyn 7th Earl of Leicester in 1737. He squandered away the Sidney fortune, selling the 2nd Earl of Leicester’s great library to help support his expensive lifestyle. He produced no male heir, meaning that his death in 1743 brought an end to the family title.
Around 1744 The nieces of Jocelyn, Mary and Elizabeth, initially become co-heiresses, but a further dispute saw the Penshurst Place estate fall into the hands of Elizabeth and her husband, William Perry. William had a penchant for things Italian, and architectural things which impressed him soon started to be reproduced at Penshurst Place alongside many pictures and pieces of furniture he brought from Italy.
In 1781 John Shelley-Sidney, the uncle of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, inherited Penshurst from his grandmother, Elizabeth Sidney, in 1781. John was just a boy and the House began to deteriorate. however in 1818 he gained full ownership and the North & West parts of Penshurst Place were restored & refurbished and after his death, in 1849 John Shelley-Sidney’s son, Philip Sidney, 1st Lord De L’Isle and Dudley, took over ownership of Penshurst Place. He continued the architectural work at Penshurst, his projects including the building of a stable wing, part of which now houses the Toy Museum. The estate later passed to his son Philip, 2nd Lord De L’Isle. in 1851. On his accession, Philip, 2nd Lord De L’Isle and Dudley, employed George Devey for more restoration which included the near-total reconstruction of the Buckingham building which houses the Long Gallery and Panelled Room. Penshurst Place then passed to his eldest son Philip, 3rd Lord De L’Isle in 1898. After his death, having no sons, Philip’s brother Algernon became 4th Lord in 1922 and inherited the Penshurst Place estate. He took on restoration work of the Long Gallery but was forced to move to Ingleby Manor, his Yorkshire estate, in his 90th year following three flying bombs from WWII inflicting substantial damage to the House. He died there the following year and Penshurst Place passed to his younger brother William Sidney, 5th Lord De L’Isle and Dudley in 1945. He himself had done much to conserve and order the family finances. Unfortunately, he lived only two months after his accession. So, at the age of 35 his son William Sidney, 6th Lord De L’Isle and Dudley, inherited Penshurst Place.
Penshurst Place opened to the public in 1946, to help pay for further restoration work following wartime damage.
In 1991 the current owner Philip Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L'Isle MBE, her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, continues his family's stewardship of Penshurst Place, with his wife Isobel and their two grown up children, Philip and Sophia.
They opened the current Visitor Entrance and Gift Shop in 1997 following the conversion of an old 19th century barn. and the Porcupine Pantry cafe, next to the Visitor Entrance and Gift Shop, was converted from a milking parlour and opened to the public after Easter in 2013.
The house and its extensive gardens continues to be open to the public. The historic banqueting hall at Penshurst Place has been used as a filming location for many Hollywood films, including The Secret Garden and The Other Boleyn Girl, as well as the BBC television series Merlin and Wolf Hall. The ancient historic parkland provides scenic walks and there are two walking trails across the estate - the Parkland and the Riverside Walks, both take in part of the Eden Valley walk. With over 7 miles of the Rivers Medway and Eden flowing through the Estate, and several lakes, both game and coarse fishing are popular at Penshurst Place.,
HAUNTINGS
The sixteenth century poet, Sir Philip Sidney is said to haunt his one time home and has been seen in the house and gardens and another ghost, is that of an Elizabethan lady, who has been witnessed in the garden but no confirmation of who she is.
RAMSHURST MANOR HOUSE POWDERMILL LANE LEIGH TN11
Ramhurst is referred to in 1292 as Rammeshirst, and the name probably signified ‘Ravenswood’. One Gilbert de Remherst is named in a suit in 1313 as possessing 1 house and 30 acres of land in Leigh and Tonbridge.
It then belonged to the famous Kentish family of Culpepper from the middle of the 14th century for several generations.
It passed by sale to Mr. William Saxby, who then conveyed it by sale to George Children.
George Children who was High Sheriff of Kent in 1698, died without any direct Heirs in 1718, and by will devised the bulk of his estate to Richard Children, eldest son of his late uncle, William Children, of Hedcorn, and his heirs.
In 1748 Richard Children, settled himself at Ramhurst, married Anne, daughter of John Saxby, in the parish of Leeds and they had four sons and two daughters. He died in 1753 and it was passed to his son John Children of Tunbridge.
In 1816, in consequence of events reflecting no discredit on the family, they lost all their property, and were compelled to sell Ramhurst, though a somewhat spacious mansion, not as a family residence, but as a farm-house.
In 1857, Ramshurst Manor was bought by a Field officer of high rank in the British Army by the name of Reynolds.
Hauntings
The first haunting story account comes from 1857 when the Reynolds moved in, right from the start of living there, Mrs Reynolds and the staff started to hear knockings, footsteps and mysterious voices. The voices were normally heard coming from an empty room, sometimes raised, sometimes not much more than a murmur. On occasions there was the sound of screaming.
Mrs Reynolds went to pick up a friend she was having to stay, Miss Stephens and she had Phychic abiltities
As they returned in the coach to Ramhurst, she saw an elderly couple standing at the front door, dressed in clothes of days gone by. Miss Stephens did not say anything to her friend, in order not to cause her alarm.
Over the next two weeks, Miss Stephens saw the couple three times in the house. They told her that they were husband and wife and that their name was Children. They were devoted to the house, that they had spent much time and effort in improving it, and it troubled them that it was no longer in the family, but in the hands of strangers who had not the same care for it.
It was shortly after this that Mrs. Reynolds was to have her first meeting with Dame Children.
Miss Stevens had several more meetings and conversations with the couple and learned that the husband’s name was Richard, and that he had died in 1753. However, a mystery appeared when it was discovered that there was no trace of any family called Children ever having lived at Ramhurst. A former family nurse, who had been at the manor for many years, knew vaguely of a man called Children, but not at Ramhurst.
Fourteen months after the hauntings commenced, a ghost-hunter, Robert Dale Owen, became interested and conducted a thorough research into the subject. After painstaking investigations he discovered that a Richard Children had inherited the house from his uncle in 1718, and was the only member of the family to live there. He had died in 1753, at the age of 83. The house remained in the family, but was not lived in again until 1816, when the family sold it.
The full story can be read via the Ramhurst Revenant Case file here
Shortly afterwards the Reynolds Family left Ramhurst, and nothing more has been reported of Richard Children and his wife, although it was reported in one article that a medium was called in and she said the spirits were are the door wanting to leave, so maybe she helped them move on.