Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Foundations and cellar of a large building believed to have been Corbie's Hall, built in the reign of Richard II, were uncovered by Sir. George Hampson on his estate in Thurnham Parish in 1862. Traces of the moat and stone rubble were originally visible on the north west and north east sides of the site. Surface evidence of the moat or building is no longer visible.

Monument Types

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

Full description

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[TQ 8015 5709] Corbier Hall [NR] (Site of ) [NAT] (1) The foundations and cellar of a large building believed to have been Corbie's Hall which was built in the reign of Richard II, were uncovered by Sir. George Hampson on his estate in Thurnham Parish in 1862. Considerable traces of the moat were still visible on the north east side. (2) The field in which Corbier Hall stood has been cleared and is under pasture; with the exception of a considerable amount of stone rubble shewn along the NW edge of the field nothing remains. There is now no trace of a moat. (3) TQ 803572. Building cropmark, possibly `Corbier Hall'. Field recently ploughed. Building rubble on the surface. Scheduled No. 309. (4) TQ 80155709. The hedges and trees which enclosed the site have been cleared and the resulting large prairie-type field is regularly ploughed. There are no surface remains of the moat nor indications of a building; even the stone rubble visible in 1961 is no longer evident. (5) TQ 803572. Building cropmark, possibly `Corbier Hall'. (6) TQ 80145707 Cropmark of Corbier Hall. (7)

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:

Building rubble on surface.
There is nothing visible on the ground apart from a generous scatter of flints, which may or may not have been building material in the past. The farm secretary considered that they were typical of soil on the farm and not significant. Larger pieces of stone have been cleared and laid along the edge of the ditch.
Suggest someone checks AP or sends me copy to fill in this section.
Revealed by AP; building rubble on surface. Field once adjacent to mature woodland, has been regularly cultivated for 25 years and in recent years part of the cultivated 'prairee' but with limited ploughing and depth. Monument is now in a vast field which has recently been drained, there is a considerable amount of rubble in plough soil (12).

Summary of Monument

Corbier Hall located 250m SSW of Court Farm.

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.

Despite some disturbance in the past, Corbier Hall survives well with buried remains visible as crop marks on aerial photographs. The site has only been partially excavated and holds potential for further archaeological investigation. It will contain below-ground archaeological and environmental information relating to the construction, layout and occupation of the manor house and to the landscape in which it was constructed.
History

See Details.
Details

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 house and moated site, known as Corbier Hall, surviving as buried remains. It is situated on gently sloping ground near Honeyhills Wood at the foot of the North Downs. Partial excavation has revealed stone foundations and a cellar, as well the likely remains of a surrounding moat. The medieval house has also been recorded as a crop mark on aerial photographs indicating a rectangular building, approximately 30m long by 15m wide, orientated WNW to ESE. There appears to be a central ‘partition’ running the length of the building. Attached at a right-angle to the west side of the south wall is another possible rectangular building, approximately 21m long by 12m wide. The remains of the moat surrounding the medieval house are also evident as a broad crop mark on aerial photographs.

Corbier Hall is thought to have been built in the late 14th century during the reign of Richard II (1377-1399). It was partially excavated in 1862 when stone foundations and a cellar were uncovered. An archaeological evaluation to the south of the site in 1996 uncovered a broad ditch considered to be the remains of the moat. The site was also recorded as part of the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) Kent Mapping Project carried out in 1986-7. This produced 1:10,000 scale depictions of crop marks identified on oblique and vertical aerial photographs taken across Kent. A rectangular building with a central ‘partition’, closely resembling that recorded from aerial photographs, is marked as ‘Ancient Ruins’ on OS Maps (1:2500) published in 1885, 1897 and 1908.(13)

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

<2> PSA 2 (series 2) 1862 103-104 (C Wykeham Martin) (OS Card Reference). SKE48756.

<3> F1 CFW 23.11.61 (OS Card Reference). SKE42718.

<4> AP BIV 43 45 JK St J (OS Card Reference). SKE34157.

<5> DOE (IAM) Record Form 12 11 75 (OS Card Reference). SKE40732.

<6> F2 MJF 19.03.86 (OS Card Reference). SKE43348.

<7> DOE (IAM) AMs Eng 2 1978 115 (OS Card Reference). SKE40692.

<8> CUCAP BIV 41.5 20.6.72 (OS Card Reference). SKE39500.

<9> NMR APU (OS Card Reference). SKE47581.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 85 NW 1 - November, 1961 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4412.

<11> Field report for monument TQ 85 NW 1 - March, 1986 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4413.

<12> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<13> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

Sources and further reading