Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1066 to 1845. Stone Castle was built in the reign of King John and in 1347 was the residence of John de Norwood, Lord of the Manor of Stone. The present house, built c.1825, has a large square tower of three stories at the south east corner. The walling, 2m. thick at ground level, is of ragstone faced externally with knapped flint and, internally, with squared chalk blocks. There are several 13th century internal doorways but the building has been much modernised

Monument Types

• HOUSE (Medieval to Modern - 1347 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 5274 STONE LONDON ROAD (south side)
Stone Castle TQ 57 SE 4/67 1.8.52
II
2. Now offices of the Blue Circle Group. Mediaeval and circa 1825. In the south-east corner of the building is a mediaeval, probably late C12, square tower of 3 storeys faced with knapped flints with some stone quoins. Parapet over it. Two arrow slit windows in the north wall and a circular stair turret. The other windows are modern. To the north-west of this is a house of circa 1825 which was altered by Henry Hakewill (died 1830). Two storeys 5 windows. Faced with knapped flints with long and short quoins of yellow brick. Stone stringcourse and cornice. Castellated parapet of knapped flints. Spindly stock brick clustered chimney stacks. Twin sash windows with dripstones over them. Projection of 3 storeys in the centre with similar quoins at its angles, porch on the ground floor containing a 4-centred arch, machicolation at the top and castellated parapet over. The west front has 7 windows and 2 bays of 3 windows each on both floors with similar quoins at the angle of each face. The interior has some trefoil-headed panelling of circa 1830. In the C16 the controller of Calais, Sir John Wyllshire lived here and Cardinal Wolsey is reputed to have stayed here on his way to Calais.
Listing NGR: TQ5704675064 (1)

Description from record TQ 57 SE 12:
[TQ 58407405] Tower [NR] (2) Stone Castle was built temp. King John and in 1347 was the residence of John de Norwood, Lord of the Manor of Stone. (a-b) The present house, built c.1825 and now offices of Assoc. Portland Cement, has a large square tower of three stories at the SE. corner. The walling, 2m. thick at ground level, is of ragstone faced externally with knapped flint and, internally, with squared chalk blocks. There are several 13th c. internal doorways but the building has been much modernised, and is in excellent condition. See GP's AO/65/84/1 & 2. (3) Stone Castle.Now offices.Medieval and circa 1825. (4) Additional Bibliography (5-9) Council offices built in 1964 were built over the site of the earlier Manor House Farm. Excavations in 1988 were confined to the rear of these offices. Work revealed a range of late 18th, and early 19th Century buildings including a cellar and a wash house. Unfortunately, the oldest part of the building still lies buried under the council offices. Tantalisingly earlier foundations, including a corner of flint foundationed building was found, as well as a stairway leading to a second earlier cellar. Unfortunately, neither of these features could be traced further as they both disappeared under the modern building. (10) Finds were few, although sherds of medieval pottery (coarse and glazed ware) were found on areas of the site. One interesting find came to light in the fill of a brick built soakaway. It consisted of two sizeable fragments of greensand, which, when joined together form what is believed to be a 16th Century door frane. the stone is decorated with a moulding very similar in style to the fireplace found at Horsman's Place (TQ 57 SW 156). (11)

<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<2> O S 6" 1938-40 (OS Card Reference). SKE47758.

<3> Hist of Kent 2 1797 390-1 (Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE43954.

<4> Invicita Mag 1 No 4 Dec 1909 `Stone-next-Dartford' (G Priest) (OS Card Reference). SKE44502.

<5> MHLG (2033/11/A.Nov 1960) 32 (OS Card Reference). SKE46970.

<6> F1 ASP 14.12.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42094.

<7> DOE(HHR) Dist of Dartford 1982 24 (OS Card Reference). SKE40924.

<8> Trans Dartford Dist Ant Soc 1 1931 74-78 (E Newnham) (OS Card Reference). SKE50638.

<9> Bldgs of Eng W Kent and the Weald 1980 550 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38016.

<10> Arch J 77 1920 174-5 (P Norman) (OS Card Reference). SKE36679.

<11> Arch Cant 33 1918 137-39 (A J Pearman) (OS Card Reference). SKE35015.

<12> Arch Cant 97 1981 312-18 (KWE Gravett and DF Renn) (OS Card Reference). SKE36299.

<13> Kent Arch Soc Newsletter No.16 (1990) 2. (OS Card Reference). SKE45887.

<14> Dart Dist Arch Grp Newsletter 56 (1989) 1. (OS Card Reference). SKE39630.

<15> Field report for monument TQ 57 SE 12 - December, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3050.

<16> STONE CASTLE - CIRCA 1825 HOUSE INCORPORATING 13TH CENTURY MANOR HOUSE, FROM NORTH EAST. (Photograph). SKE2624.

<17> STONE CASTLE - CIRCA 1825 HOUSE INCORPORATING 13TH CENTURY MANOR HOUSE FROM SOUTH EAST. (Photograph). SKE2625.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Kent's Castles (Thematic Essay)