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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 56 SW 150
Type of record:Listed Building
Name:THE GATEHOUSE TO LULLINGSTONE CASTLE

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1550 to 1599. The extant outer gatehouse of Lullingstone Castle. Originally believed to have been built in the early or late 16th century, it now seems that it may have been built earlier in 1497 by Sir John Peche as part of his new house. The south-west turret was rebuilt in the 1960s after being damaged in the Second World War.The gatehouse is brick-built and rectangular in plan with polygonal turrets attached to the outer face. There is machicolation and a castellated parapet around the whole of the gatehouse. The outer side faces west and has a four-centred brick carriage archway which retains its original ribbed double 20 panel doors of 20 panels. The inner side has a similar moulded archway.


Grid Reference:TQ 52928 64411
Map Sheet:TQ56SW
Parish:EYNSFORD, SEVENOAKS, KENT

Monument Types

  • GATEHOUSE (Medieval to Modern - 1497 AD to 2050 AD)
Protected Status:Scheduled Monument 1005161: Lullingstone Castle gateway; Listed Building (I) 1217173: THE GATEHOUSE TO LULLINGSTONE CASTLE

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. EYNSFORD LULLINGSTONE LANE 5280 Lullingstone The Gatehouse to TQ 56 SW 5/64 1.6.67 Lullingstone Castle I GV 2. C16. This was the outer Gatehouse of the house built by Sir Percyvall Hart between 1543 and 1580. (Of which parts remain in the later Lullingstone Castle) and was constructed sometime after the middle of the century. The inner Gatehouse was demolished in the mid C18. Red brick laid in English Bond, with traces of diaper pattern. In plan it consists of a rectangle with polygonal turrets attached to the outer face, and polygonal projections from the inner. In elevation it comprises a carriage archway with a room over flanked by turrets of 3 storeys. Machicolation and a castellated parapet to the whole. Casement windows with brick mullions. The outer side faces west and has a 4-centred brick carriage archway which retains its original ribbed double doors of 20 panels, and over it a cartouche and a single window of 2 tiers of 4 lights. Flanking this are hexagonal staircase turrets which rise higher than the remainder of the Gatehouse. These have quatrefoil loop lights and terracotta panels. Otherwise this side of the Gatehouse is blind. On the inner side is a similar moulded archway with brick dripstone and cartouche and similar window over and these are flanked by canted bays of 3 storeys which contain 4-centre pedestrian doorways with dripstones on the ground floor flanked by small rectangular single light windows and windows of 2 tiers of 3-lights on the first and second floors. AM. Listing NGR: TQ5301664385 (1)

Description from record TQ 56 SW 58 :
(TQ 52926441) Gateway (NR) (2)

Gatehouse (at TQ 52926441) of Lullington Castle (TQ 56 SW 18) built between 1543 and 1580, of red brick. On plan, a rectangle with 2 projections on each of the longer sides. In elevation, a carriage archway with a room over, flanked by turrets of 3 storeys. Machicolation and castellated parapet to the whole. (3)

Lullingstone Castle, a private residence as described (TQ 56 SW 18) and in good condition. See GP AO/64/126/4 (4) 5280 EYNSFORD LULLINGSTONE LANE Lullingstone The Gatehouse to Lullingstone Castle TQ 56 SW 5/64 1.6.67 Listed Grade I GV 2. C16. This was the outer Gatehouse of the house built by Sir Percyvall Hart between 1543 and 1580. (Of which parts remain in the later Lullingstone Castle) and was constructed sometime after the middle of the century. The inner Gatehouse was demolished in the mid C18. Red brick laid in English Bond, with traces of diaper pattern. In plan it consists of a rectangle with polygonal turrets attached to the outer face, and polygonal projections from the inner. In elevation it comprises a carriage archway with a room over flanked by turrets of 3 storeys. Machicolation and a castellated parapet to the whole. Casement windows with brick mullions. The outer side faces west and has a 4-centred brick carriage archway which retains its original ribbed double doors of 20 panels, and over it a cartouche and a single window of 2 tiers of 4 lights. Flanking this are hexagonal staircase turrets which rise higher than the remainder of the Gatehouse. These have quatrefoil loop lights and terracotta panels. Otherwise this side of the Gatehouse is blind. On the inner side is a similar moulded archway with brick dripstone and cartouche and similar window over and these are flanked by canted bays of 3 storeys which contain 4-centre pedestrian doorways with dripstones on the ground floor flanked by small rectangular single light windows and windows of 2 tiers of 3-lights on the first and second floors. AM. (5)

Full architectural description of Gatehouse. Until mid 18th century there was a second, inner, gatehouse, and a moat round the house. Buck's print records them, and so does a large painting in the house. That is why there seems such a wide gap now between gatehouse and house. (6)

During WWII the gatehouse was badly damaged by V1 attacks. The gatehouse has now been restored. (7)

A three-storey brick gatehouse dating from the first half of the 16th century. The outer arch of the gateway, formed of three orders of moulded brick within a brick hood mould, is closed by original oak moulded doors. On either side is a semi-octagonal turret containing and oak newel stair. (8)


From the National Heritage List for england:

List entry Description
Summary of Monument
Tudor gatehouse to Lullingstone Castle, 70m south-west of St Botolph’s Church.

Reasons for Designation
The Tudor gatehouse to Lullingstone Castle 70m south-west of St Botolph’s Church was originally the outer gatehouse of a fortified house. Fortified houses were residences belonging to some of the richest and most powerful members of society. Their design reflects a combination of domestic and military elements. In some instances, the fortifications may be cosmetic additions to an otherwise conventional high status dwelling, giving a military aspect while remaining practically indefensible. They are associated with individuals or families of high status and their ostentatious architecture often reflects a high level of expenditure. The nature of the fortification varies, but can include moats, curtain walls, a gatehouse and other towers, gunports and crenellated parapets. Their buildings normally included a hall used as communal space for domestic and administrative purposes, kitchens, service and storage areas. Fortified houses were constructed in the medieval period, primarily between the 15th and 16th centuries although the origins of the class can be traced further back.

In common with castles, some fortified houses had outer courts beyond the main defences in which stables, brew houses, granaries and barns were located.

Despite partial rebuilding following bomb damage during the Second World War, the Tudor gatehouse to Lullingstone Castle survives well. It includes some well preserved architectural details such as the carriage archway, mullioned windows and crenellated parapet.

History
See Details.

Details
This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 18 December 2014. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

The monument includes a Tudor gatehouse associated with a fortified house now known as Lullingstone Castle. It is situated at the foot of a steam valley of the River Darent within Lullingstone Park, south-west of Eynsford.

The gatehouse is built of red brick laid in English bond, with traces of diaper pattern. At the centre is a carriage archway with a room over, which is flanked turrets of three storeys. The gatehouse has casement windows with brick mullions and is surmounted by a castellated parapet and machicolations. The outer (west) elevation has a four-centred archway with original oak double doors. Over the archway are a cartouche and a single window of two tiers of four lights. Flanking the archway are semi-octagonal stair turrets with quatrefoil loop lights and terracotta panels. The turret on the south side was partly rebuilt in the 1960s following Second World War bomb damage. The inner (east) elevation has an archway with brick dripstone, above which is a cartouche and a single window of two tiers of four lights. The archway is flanked by canted three-storey bays, which contain doorways with dripstones flanked by small rectangular single light windows. Above the doorways are two tiers of three-light windows. Adjoining the gatehouse to the south is a Tudor stable range. On the north side of the gatehouse is the scar of a gable indicating that there was originally a further range to the north.

The manor of Lullingstone was mentioned in the Domesday Survey. In the late 1490s Sir John Peche built a new house probably on the site of, or close to, an earlier manor house. The outer gatehouse was built from about this time. Sir John was prominent at the courts of Henry VII and VIII, the latter who probably visited Lullingstone several times. A tilt yard was apparently constructed for him on a flat area, immediately in front of the outer gatehouse. The gatehouse formed part of a complex including an inner and outer gatehouse, and moat surrounding the house. The house was later renamed Lullingstone Castle. In the 18th century, the inner gatehouse and walls were demolished and the moat was filled in. (1)

The gatehouse is Grade I listed. (9)


Historic England, Archive material associated with Lullingstone Castle (MKE30766) (Archive). SKE53753.

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

<2> OS 6" 1936-46 (OS Card Reference). SKE48341.

<3> Min HLG Schedule Dartford 3541 1952 (OS Card Reference). SKE47202.

<4> F1 ASP 02-OCT-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE41899.

<5> DOE(HHR) Dist of Sevenoaks Kent 1982 23 (OS Card Reference). SKE40990.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 56 SW 58 - October, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3015.

<7> Pittman, S., 1983, Lullingstone Park: The Evolution of a Medieval Deer Park (Monograph). SKE11893.

<8> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<9> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
---Archive: Historic England. Archive material associated with Lullingstone Castle (MKE30766).
<1>Map: English Heritage. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
<2>OS Card Reference: OS 6" 1936-46.
<3>OS Card Reference: Min HLG Schedule Dartford 3541 1952.
<4>OS Card Reference: F1 ASP 02-OCT-64.
<5>OS Card Reference: DOE(HHR) Dist of Sevenoaks Kent 1982 23.
<6>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 56 SW 58 - October, 1964.
<7>Monograph: Pittman, S.. 1983. Lullingstone Park: The Evolution of a Medieval Deer Park.
<8>XYScheduling record: English Heritage. Register of Scheduled Monuments. [Mapped feature: #30294 building, ]
<9>Index: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.

Related records

TQ 56 SW 155Part of: LULLINGSTONE CASTLE (Listed Building)