Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1200 to 1299. Ruins of barbicans and dam at Leeds Castle. The barbican is a triple barbican. The outer barbican is rectangular in plan, aligned north-south, with a curved south-west corner. It is connected to the dam by stone wall. The inner barbican is roughly rectangular in plan, parallel to the east of the outer barbican, with deep room, and has a possible guard room, immediately to south of the bridge.

Monument Types

• BARBICAN (Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)
• DAM (BARBICAN, Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 85 SW 33 :
Ruins of Barbicans and Dam at Leeds Castle, Grade I. Triple barbican. Ruins of 2 of the island barbicans with incorporated mill survive, with dam to south-east. Irregular height. Outer barbican: rectangular, aligned north-south, with curved south-west corner. Connected to dam by stone wall with small arch. Causeway to north. Pointed arched stone bridge with parapet, formerly a drawbridge, linking to inner barbican. Inner barbican: roughly rectangular, parallel to east of outer barbican, with deep room, possibly a guard room, immediately to south of bridge. Linked to larger island of castle to east by stone bridge, formerly a drawbridge, and to broad causeways to south-east and south-west. South end of west wall turns south-west to form one wall of south-west causeway or dam. (1) Additional bibliography. (2)(3)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
BROOMFIELD Ruins of Barbicans TQ 85 SW and Dam at Leeds 2/1 Castle GV I
Partly in Leeds civil parish. Triple barbican. Ruins of 2 of the island barbicans with incorporated mill survive, with dam to south-east. Probably early-to-mid C13. Mill repaired 1298-9. Stone. Irregular height. Outer barbican: rectangular, aligned north-south, with curved south-west corner, and incorporating ruins of former mill within north-west corner. Connected to dam by stone wall with small arch. Causeway to north. Pointed arched stone bridge with parapet, formerly a drawbridge, linking to inner barbican. Inner barbican: roughly rectangular, parallel to east of outer barbican, with deep room, possibly a guard room, immediately to south of bridge. Linked to larger island of castle to east by stone bridge, formerly a drawbridge, and to broad causeways to south-east and south-west. South end of west wall turns south-west to form one wall of south-west causeway or dam. Various window openings and loop lights. North gateway to outer barbican with depressed-pointed arch and portcullis groove. Inner barbican has similar gateway to bridge between barbicans, and one jamb of gateway to former south-west bridge and causeway. See also Leeds Castle [Item 2/2].
Listing NGR: TQ8184352984 (4)

<1> DOE (HHR) Borough of Maidstone Kent 18 December 1985 3 (OS Card Reference). SKE39921.

<2> Bldgs of Eng-West Kent & the Weald 1980 371 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38149.

<3> Arch Cant 95 1979 296 (D Nash) (OS Card Reference). SKE36225.

<4> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading

Related records