Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Site of 16th century moated manor house replaced in 1740 by a manor house which was destroyed by fire prior to completion and never rebuilt. Excavations in 1972 revealed not only the presumed medieval and post-medieval manor houses but also an earlier curtain wall and moat relating to the hitherto unknown Farningham Castle. The curtain wall, 5 feet thick and 7 feet high, rested on massive sandstone boulders and probably dates to the 13th or 14th century. The 16th century brick manor house had been constructed on top of the curtain wall and later boundary wall.

Monument Types

• MANOR HOUSE (MANOR HOUSE, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1200 AD to 1900 AD?)
• MOAT (MOAT, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1200 AD to 1900 AD?)

Full description

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In 1740 William Hanger built a new house on the site of the old manor-house of Farningham but it was burnt down before it was finished and was never rebuilt. He moved to a house on the opposite side of the road - the present manor-house. The site of the medieval and 1740 manor-house is still to be seen at TQ 5473 6706 and comprises a large building platform together with a moat, now dry. The moat has suffered some mutilation on the NE side, otherwise it is in fair condition. Surveyed at 1:2500. (1) No evidence of any feature in this field. I learned locally that archaeological excavations had taken place here about 2 years ago. (2) (TQ 5470 6704) Moat [NR] (3) Farningham Manor (TQ 547 670). In 1972 a sewer pipe was being laid outwhen the line cut through the N side of a mound and revealed not only the presumed medieval and post-medieval manor houses but also the curtain wall and moat relating to the hitherto unknown Farningham Castle. In 1973 a joint excavation programme was undertaken by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit and the Darent Valley Archaeological Training School. The excavation concentrated on the SW corner of the mound and the moat, filled with mud silt. The curtain wall, 5 feet thick and 7 feet high, rested on massive sandstone boulders and probably dates to the C13th or C14th. The C16th brick manor house hadbeen constructed on top of the curtain wall and later boundary walls added. (4-6)

additional bibliography (7-9)

<1> History of Kent 2 1797 517-8 (Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44109.

<2> E Greenfield's Card Index Dartford Museum Darenth Valley 942.23 General (OS Card Reference). SKE41526.

<3> F1 CFW 05-OCT-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42442.

<4> L S Reviser 16 11 79 (OS Card Reference). SKE45990.

<5> OS 1:10000 1982 (OS Card Reference). SKE48168.

<6> Arch Cant 88 1973 215-6 (OS Card Reference). SKE35941.

<7> Moated Sites Res Gp No 8 1981 14 (OS Card Reference). SKE47265.

<8> Kent Arch Rev 34 1973 113-4 illus (OS Card Reference). SKE45765.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 56 NW 42 - October, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2932.

Sources and further reading