Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1200 to 1610 Abbey (Remains of). Founded 1193 and dissolved 1536. The remains of St. Radegunds Abbey consists of parts of the church, West Range, Chapter House, Dorter, Frater, Infirmary, Two Gatehouses, and a Tithe Barn and the precinct wall; together with associated banks, ditches and enclosures.

Monument Types

• PREMONSTRATENSIAN MONASTERY (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1193 AD to 1610 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 24 SE 8 :
[TR 2752 4198] St Radigund's Abbey (remains of) [NAT] [TR 2756 4206] Gatehouse (remains of) [NAT] [TR 2773 4184] Gatehouse (remains of) [NAT] (1) The Premonstratension Abbey of St. Radegund or Bradsole was founded in 1193 and dissolved in 1536. The site was excavated by Hope who found the existing buildings to date from the foundation of the abbey.The course of the precinct wall and ditch, and other walls and water courses can be traced. Scheduled. [See plan AO/LP/63/78 (5)] (2-6) The remains of St. Radegunds Abbey consists of parts of the church, West Range, Chapter House, Dorter, Frater, Infirmary, Two Gatehouses, and a Tithe Barn and the precinct wall; together with associated banks, ditches and enclosures. Earthworks re-surveyed at 1:2500 (See GPs AO/64/120/3-7) (7) Ruins of St Radegund's Abbey (the uninhabited portions) Grade II* Monastic ruins. 13th century. Rubble and ashlar, flint. At present forming the entrance gate-house and forecourt to St. Radegund's Farmhouse, the remains represent the cloister of the PremonstratensianAbbey of St. Radegund. Tower of 3 storeys, the topmost ruinous, of coursed flint, decorated with triangular ashlar blocks. Two large offset buttresses with central 16th century red brick semi-circular arch, and 4 chamfered lights on first floor. Originally the tower of the church. To south and east of the tower further portions of masonry survive, in part to full height, cut through especially c.1590 representing remains of nave of church with moulded doorway to tower and with the remains of cellarer's building and guesthouse, forming west range of cloister, with the north gable end of this range surviving full height. The standing buildings are surrounded by extensive earthworks, a scheduled Ancient Monument, with isolated blocks of masonry, the most extensive of which is a length of walling,about 30 metres north-east of the tower/gatehouse, about 6ft high, running about 10 metres north-east, and returned about 30 metres south-east. For history of Abbey see main entry on St. Radegund's Abbey Farmhouse. (TR 24 SE 26) (For full description see list) (8)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 24 SE HOUGHAM ABBEY ROAD (south side) 4/67 Ruins of St. 22.8.62 Radegund's Abbey (the uninhabited portions) GV II* Monastic ruins. C13. Rubble and ashlar, flint. At present forming the entrance gate-house and forecourt to St. Radegund's Farmhouse, the remains represent the cloister of the Premonstratensian Abbey of St. Radegund. Tower of 3 storeys, the topmost ruinous, of coursed flint, decorated with triangular ashlar blocks. Two large offset buttresses with central C16 red brick semi-circular arch, and 4 chamfered lights on first floor. Interior: tripartite plan, the side chambers with chamfered and moulded arches and springer for vaulting. Originally the tower of the church, set in re-entrant angle of nave and north transept. The earlier ashlar west wall of the north transept on left return of tower with responds of chapel and north chancel aisle arcade. Connecting wall from tower south to Farmhouse, with 4 openings, 2 blocked, with moulded and chamfered arches, originally shafted, with round capitals and water holding bases. These were the doorways to the chapter house, portions of which, and the adjoining south chapels of the church survive to the east of the connecting wall (cloister east wall). To south and east of the tower further portions of masonry survive, in part to full height, cut through especially c.1590, representing remains of nave of church with moulded doorway to tower and with the remains of cellarer's building and guesthouse, forming west range of cloister, with the north gable end of this range surviving full height, with lancets, and range of deep rere-arches to ground floor lancets along long wall. The standing buildings are surrounded by extensive earthworks, a scheduled Ancient Monument, with isolated blocks of masonry, the most extensive of which is a length of walling, about 30 metres north-east of the tower/gatehouse, about 6 feet high, running about 10 metres north- east, and returned about 30 metres south-east. (See B.O.E. Kent II 1983, 439-440; see also W. St. John Hope, Arch. Cant., 14, 1882). For history of Abbey see main entry on St. Radegund's Abbey Farmhouse.
Listing NGR: TR2764342124 (9)

Additional bibliography. (10-19)

Historic England archive material (20)

<1> OS 6" 1962 (OS Card Reference). SKE48371.

<2> Med Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1953 168 (Knowles and Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46788.

<3> Mon Sites from Air 1952 178-9, 81 (Knowles and St. Joseph) (OS Card Reference). SKE47312.

<4> Arch Cant 14 1882 140-52 (plans) (W H St. John Hope) (OS Card Reference). SKE34711.

<5> Arch 73 1922-3 142 (plan) (A W Clapham) (OS Card Reference). SKE34449.

<6> AM Eng and Wales 1961 59 (OS Card Reference). SKE33015.

<7> F1 FGA 04.06.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42887.

<8> DOE (HHR) Dist of Dover 1987 30 (OS Card Reference). SKE40255.

<9> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<10> VCH Kent 2 1926 172-175 (RC Fowler) (OS Card Reference). SKE50955.

<11> Med Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1971 185 191 (D Knowles and RN Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46793.

<12> Grose's Ant 2 1774 71-72 (OS Card Reference). SKE43634.

<13> Bib Topo Brit 1 1780-90 XLII (OS Card Reference). SKE37643.

<14> Eng Mon 1923 64 83 111 148 (AH Thompson) (OS Card Reference). SKE41594.

<15> Tanners Notitia Monastica Kent IX 1787 (Naismith) (OS Card Reference). SKE49813.

<16> Ants of Eng and Wales 3 1787 11-14 (F Grose) (OS Card Reference). SKE33308.

<17> Field report for monument TR 24 SE 8 - June, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5689.

<18> Dover Archaeological Group, 2004, St Radegund's Abbey: Resistivity Survey (Unpublished document). SKE15994.

<19> Arch Cant 431931 187-198 photos (SE Winbolt) (OS Card Reference). SKE35133.

<20> Historic England, Archive material associated with St Radegund's Abbey, Hougham Without, Scheduled Monument (Archive). SKE54795.

Sources and further reading