Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Pre 1368 manor house (site of).

Monument Types

• MANOR HOUSE (MANOR HOUSE, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 9141 6438] Bayford Castle [NR] (Site of) [NAT] (1) Site of Bayford Castle [NR] (Erected A.D. 893) [NAT] (2). Saxton's large scale plan shows the site of Goodmanston manor house, called "castle ruffe", in approximately the same position as the O.S. symbol for Bayford Castle, to the north-east of the moated site of Bayford manor house. [See TQ 96 SW 15.] Bayford Castle and Goodmanston (Goodneston, Godewynston) were separate manors but appear to have been held by the same persons from c. 1368. The first to hold both manors, Robert de Nottingham, resided at Bayford and dated several of his deeds "apud castellum suum de Bayford, apud Goodneston". From this it may be conjectured that the capital residence was at Bayford manor whilst the Goodmanston Manor House became derelict and the manor itself lost much of its separate identity. The association of Bayford Castle (presumably Goodmanston manor house site) with the date 893 would appear to stem from Camden and to have no basis in fact (3-5). There is no trace of this manor-house, the area having been worked for brick-earth and later dumped on (6). The Danish Castle, called "castle rough" (TQ 96 NW 10), remains at Kemsley downs, just by Milton church. Alfred threw up a fortification on the other side of the water, the ditches and some part of the stone-work of which remained, named Bavord Castle or Bayford, a manor near Sittingburn (7). In 893 Hasten came up the Thames to Milton. There he made a stronghold to accommodate at least eighty ships. Castle Rough on Kemsley Downs is too small to have accommodated his men and there is no place for ships. Hasted (a) stated that Castle Rough on the west was built by Hasten, and another Castle Rough on the east of the creek was built by Alfred some time afterwards; for the last there is no evidence, for the first the evidence is contrary (8). Bayford Castle, Sittingbourne; nothing remains of this "castle", and probably it was mainly a moat-defended enclosure. Bayford Court (TQ 96 SW 15) may have been identical with Bayford Castle, and we cannot but conclude that mystery attaches to the exact spot occupied by the castle (9,10). Additional references (11-12).

<1> OS 6" 1961 (OS Card Reference). SKE48369.

<2> OS 6" 1938-47 (OS Card Reference). SKE48354.

<3> Manors of Bayford and Goodmanston 1590 (C Saxton) (OS Card Reference). SKE46507.

<4> History of Kent 2 1788 611-12 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44108.

<5> Gough's Camden 1 1789 234 (OS Card Reference). SKE43625.

<6> F1 CFW 08-JUL-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42484.

<7> Gough's Camden's Brittania 1 2nd Edition 1806 340-341 (OS Card Reference). SKE43627.

<8> History of Kent 1 xxxix 2 616 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44095.

<9> Arch J 42 1885 293-294 (F C J Spurrell) (OS Card Reference). SKE36636.

<10> VCH Kent 1 1908 433 (I Chalkley Gould) (OS Card Reference). SKE50907.

<11> Castellaruim Anglicanum I 1983 236 (D J Cathcart King) (OS Card Reference). SKE38616.

<12> Field report for monument TQ 96 SW 42 - July, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4973.

Sources and further reading