Link to printer-friendly page

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

Monument details

HER Number:TR 35 SE 12
Type of record:Monument
Name:Remains of Old Walmer Court 13th c manor house

Summary

The ruined remains of a moated, semi-fortified manor house adjacent to the parish church. Pottery discovered during excavation work dates from 1150-75. The upper floor of the former first floor hall house is now fragmentary, but the two undercrofts below survive. The building is roughly square in plan with corner turrets, three of which survive. An external stair led up the west side of the house into a forebuilding at first floor level. The inner hall or chamber is narrower than the outer hall and may have been divided into two rooms, as was the corresponding undercroft below. A moat originally enclosed both the manor house and the nearby church.


Grid Reference:TR 3672 5037
Map Sheet:TR35SE
Parish:DOVER, DOVER, KENT

Monument Types

Associated Finds

  • SHERD (Medieval - 1154 AD to 1175 AD)
Protected Status:Scheduled Monument 1005142: Old Walmer Court(rems)

Full description

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

[TR 3671 5036] Mansion [NR] (Site of) [NAT] (1) Old Walmer Court, the ruins of a late C13 manor house of flint and ashlar which has been so robbed of its cut stonework that there is nowlittle to go on. There are the remains of a moat just over the churchyard wall, the remainder was filled in when the churchyard was enlarged. (2-6) The remains comprise a roofless rectangular structure, 16.5 m by 15 m standing two storeys to a maximum height of 8 m. The walling of flint rubble is 1.2 - 1.4 m thick. The building is sub-divided into three unequal compartments; the entrance being at the NW corner. There are no surviving architectural features, but the walling is identical to that of the nearby St Mary's church, which has been dated to c1120 with EE additions (see TR 35 SE 18) (see GP AO/64/122/1). No traces ofmoating were observed. (7) TR 3671 5036 'Old Walmer Court' is listed in the County checklist of moated sites in Kent, December 1979. (8,9) The Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit recorded the C12 fortified manor house in Church Street. It is a well built structure of flint with Caen stone dressings and consists of two undercrofts with first floor hall and rooms over. Three of the four corner towers survive and an external stair led into a forebuilding at first floor level. Originally a wide ditch surrounded the manor house and the near-by parish church. (10) In the grounds, adjoining the churchyard of the old church, the ruinedflint walls of a Norman semi-fortified house. Two roughly square compartments, the S one showing evidence on an upper floor. Few original dressings. Excavation has established that the plan was roughly square, with later turrets at the angles and a forebuilding onthe W side. The hall was on the upper floor in the normal C12 manner. (11)

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:

Fortified manor house, ruins standing to the second storey, traces of moat which surrounded the building. The manor belonged first to the Amberville family and then passed to the de Griol. Hasted states that the manor house was built by Nicholas de Griol.
As on AM7 The ruins have a fairly extensive ground plan of, I think, 4 rooms and stand on rough grassland with adjacent trees. The southern wall of the manor house forms part of the churchyard wall of the Old Church of St Mary.(13)


From the National Heritage List for England:

List entry Description
Summary of Monument
Medieval moated manor house known as Walmer Court, 38m north-east of the (old) Church of St Mary.

Reasons for Designation
Around 6,000 moated sites are known in England. They consist of wide ditches, often or seasonally water-filled, partly or completely enclosing one or more islands of dry ground on which stood domestic or religious buildings. In some cases the islands were used for horticulture. The majority of moated sites served as prestigious aristocratic and seigneurial residences with the provision of a moat intended as a status symbol rather than a practical military defence. The peak period during which moated sites were built was between about 1250 and 1350 and by far the greatest concentration lies in central and eastern parts of England. However, moated sites were built throughout the medieval period, are widely scattered throughout England and exhibit a high level of diversity in their forms and sizes. They form a significant class of medieval monument and are important for the understanding of the distribution of wealth and status in the countryside. Many examples provide conditions favourable to the survival of organic remains.

The medieval moated manor house known as Walmer Court survives well with considerable upstanding stone remains. It has group value with, and forms a strong visual and historical relationship to, the nearby Church of St Mary, a Grade II* listed building. Only part of the site has been excavated and it retains potential for further archaeological investigation. The site will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the construction, use and history of the moated manor house.

History
See Details.

Details
This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 16 March 2015. This 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 medieval manor house, known as Walmer Court, surviving as upstanding and below-ground remains. It is situated on flat ground near the (old) Church of St Mary in Walmer. The manor house is constructed of flint with Caen stone dressings. It is broadly rectangular in plan and about 16.5m long by 15m wide. The manor house is now roofless but the walls survive to second storey level and are up to 8m high and 1.2 to 1.4m thick. The manor house was fortified with turrets or towers at the angles, three of which survive. Mortices for timber joists are visible in the main internal north-south wall of the house and there are also traces of a first floor opening. The southern wall of the manor house forms part of the churchyard wall of the (old) Church of St Mary.

The building originally included two undercrofts, a first floor hall and several rooms above. On the west side of the manor house is a forebuilding. A moat originally enclosed both the manor house and the nearby church. It is likely to survive as a buried feature having become in-filled in the past.

Walmer Court was built in the 12th century. Documentary sources indicate that it may have been constructed by the d'Auberville family or, later, by Nicholas de Criol who married the daughter of Sir William de Auberville and gained ownership of the manor. The nearby church (Grade II* listed) may have served as a chapel to the manor house. It is also built of flint with stone dressings and has a strong visual relationship with the house. In 1966 and 1974 partial excavation on the site of the manor house recovered medieval pottery dating from about 1150 at foundation level. (14)

Conservation work, Walmer Manor. A major programme of conservation began at Walmer fortified manor house in July 1974. The work included the removal of tons of rubble and soil, filling in old excavations, clearing the dense undergrowth and levelling the site.(15)


<1> OS 25" 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48272.

<2> The Invaders Shore 58-9 61 (WPD Stebbing) (OS Card Reference). SKE50382.

<3> Hist of Walmer and Walmer Castle 1864 15-16 41 (Rev CR Elvin) (OS Card Reference). SKE44051.

<4> Hist of Kent 4 1799 173 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE43976.

<5> Recs of Walmer 1890 17 (Rev CRS Elvin) (OS Card Reference). SKE49111.

<6> VCH Kent 1 1908 435 (Rev EA Downman) (OS Card Reference). SKE50911.

<7> F1 ASP 21-JUL-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42222.

<8> Moated Sites Res Grp 6 1979 48 (CJ Bond Ed) (OS Card Reference). SKE47285.

<9> Arch Cant 93 1977 222 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE36151.

<10> Med Arch 19 1975 251 (LE Webster and J Cherry) (OS Card Reference). SKE46742.

<11> The Bldgs of Eng NE and E Kent 1983 489 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE50132.

<12> Field report for monument TR 35 SE 12 - July, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6080.

<13> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<14> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

<15> KAR 38 1974 226 (E Mynott) (OS Card Reference). SKE45322.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: OS 25" 1957.
<2>OS Card Reference: The Invaders Shore 58-9 61 (WPD Stebbing).
<3>OS Card Reference: Hist of Walmer and Walmer Castle 1864 15-16 41 (Rev CR Elvin).
<4>OS Card Reference: Hist of Kent 4 1799 173 (E Hasted).
<5>OS Card Reference: Recs of Walmer 1890 17 (Rev CRS Elvin).
<6>OS Card Reference: VCH Kent 1 1908 435 (Rev EA Downman).
<7>OS Card Reference: F1 ASP 21-JUL-64.
<8>OS Card Reference: Moated Sites Res Grp 6 1979 48 (CJ Bond Ed).
<9>OS Card Reference: Arch Cant 93 1977 222 (T Tatton-Brown).
<10>OS Card Reference: Med Arch 19 1975 251 (LE Webster and J Cherry).
<11>OS Card Reference: The Bldgs of Eng NE and E Kent 1983 489 (J Newman).
<12>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TR 35 SE 12 - July, 1964.
<13>XYScheduling record: English Heritage. Register of Scheduled Monuments. [Mapped feature: #960 Ruined building, ]
<14>Index: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
<15>OS Card Reference: KAR 38 1974 226 (E Mynott).