Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Soite of Cromers mansion, dating to the 17th century.

Monument Types

• COUNTRY HOUSE (COUNTRY HOUSE, Post Medieval - 1600 AD to 1700 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

[TQ 8986 6146] Site of a Mansion of the Cromers [NR] (1)
Remains of a Mansion of the Cromers [NR] (2)
Sir James Crowner, who died in 1613, spent some years in getting together the material for a new and more palatial residence [lived at Grove End; TQ 86 SE 8]; but he died before the house was completed and the materials were sold to Sir Robert Vyner, who used them in building himself a house in London. The remains of the Crowmer Mansion became known as "The Ruins", and were the resort of thieves and beggars until they were blown up. (3)
The site of the mansion house of the Cromers is to this day called "The Ruins". The foundations which may easily be traced, show the building to have been of a large extent: besides the bare foundations, there is nothing remaining but a capacious vaulted cellar, not long since a receptacle for beggars .... (4)
Two bits of the old walls of the mansion of the Cromers are left, one close up against the roadway and the other in a meadow, the latter having been heightened with modern bricks to act as a shelter for the sheep. These old walls were built of flint and Tudor bricks. (5)
No remains: field under crop. (6) [TQ 899 615]
Hasted reference (7).
The site of Crowmer's mansion is now sheep pasture and no structures project above ground, although a few courses of brickwork can be seen at the base of an otherwise modern wall nearby. The variable level of the field is indicative of building platforms, and scattered brick fragments appear on the surface. In the summer of 1980 linear cropmarks were noted, suggesting the presence of walls just beneath the surface. At the same time part of the field was scheduled for development, which prompted an exploratory excavation in September and October 1980 by the Sittingbourne and Swale Archaeological Research Group with the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, directed by Robert Baxter and Brian Philp. The excavations traced a massive brick wall, running for over 20 metres along the north edge of the site, which probably marks one of the main ranges of the mansion. Rubble, debris, and possible metalled surfaces were found on the south, external side of this wall and a possible cellar on the north. On the west the ground appears to have been traced. The mansion was very large, and was clearly intended to be a building of considerable quality, probably designed by a leading architect. Finds included small pieces of medieval pottery and a silver coin - all probably of 13th or 14th century date, which may have been brought into the area with dumped soil. (8)

Misc (9).

Visible on recent aerial photos runs available through google earth.

<1> OS 6" 1938-47 (OS Card Reference). SKE48354.

<2> OS 6" 1872 (OS Card Reference). SKE48309.

<3> Church and Village of Tunstall 1937 71 (A A Midwinter - Rector) (OS Card Reference). SKE38961.

<4> Bib Topo Brit 1 1780-90 Hist and Antiqs of Tunstal 31-32 (OS Card Reference). SKE37641.

<5> A Saunter through Kent 24 1930 62 (C Igglesden) (OS Card Reference). SKE32880.

<6> F1 CFW 04-JUL-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42420.

<7> The History and Topographical Survey of County of Kent 6 1978 81-2 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE50360.

<8> KAR 66 1981 122-5 figs (R Baxter and B Philp) (OS Card Reference). SKE45397.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 86 SE 24 - July, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4607.

Sources and further reading