Binbury Castle: Bonbury: Godard’s Castle: Thornham: Castle of Thorne: Stockings Wood Castle.

• Thurnham, Kent.
• OSGB – TQ 81164 60215.
• Scheduled Monument.
• Grade II Listed Building.

Medieval moated manor house, castle. Includes a motte and moat, interval towers, mural tower and a ditch. The bailey is traceable on the north east side. Remains of a curtain wall are on the south western side. Moat measures 30.4 meters wide. Dovecote survives.

Motte stands 5m high, aspects of the wall remain which measure in places 7.5 m high, are of knapped flint and measure 1.8 meters thick. Site covers approx. quarter of an acre.

Traces of a square stone keep, which faced the east, have been recorded on the motte.

Roman artefacts have been found at the site, so possibly a Roman building stood there prior to the erection of the castle.

Site recorded as being held by Godardus, a Saxon.

Purchased by Sir John Cutte, under treasurer of England.

1072                     Until: Held by Bishop Odo.

*                           Granted to Gilbert Magnimot.

1135-1154          Curing: Built by Sir Leonard Goddard.

1154-1189          During: Held by Robert de Thurnham.

*                           Robert Thurnham inherited the manor. He accompanied Richard I on Crusade.

1212                   Robert Thurnham died without issue. His brother Stephen inherited the manor.

1215                    Stephen Thurnham died.

12^th C                 Dates from.

c.1272                Manor held by Sir Roger de Northwood.

1285                  Sir Roger de Northwood died.

1319                  Lands held by Joan, widow of Sir John de Northwood.

1379                  Sir John de Northwood died. His son Sir Roger de Northwood succeeded him.

*                         Sir Roger de Northwood sold the manor to Robert Corbie.

1416                  Joane, Robert Corbie’s daughter, married Sir Nicholas Wotton and the manor passed to them.

1540                  Held by Sir Edward Wotton.

1550                  Lands were held by Sir Edward Wotton, grandson of the previous Sir Edward Wotton.

1631                 Thomas, Lord Wotton died, his daughter Catherine inherited, and she married Henry, Lord Stanhope.

1634                 Lord Stanhope died. Catherine sold the manor to Mr. John Goddon of London.

1694                 William Goddon sold the manor to William Cage.

*                        William Cage sold the manor to Sir Edward Dering.

1762                 Sir Edward Dering died, his son Sir Edward Dering inherited the manor.

1961                 Field Investigation.

1963                 Field Investigation.

1939-1945       WWII: Air Raid shelters built on mound.

20^th C                A mural tower measuring 4.48m x 3.3 m and standing 7.49m high was recorded.

References & Bibliography.

Black. A., & Black. C. 1874. Black’s Guide to Kent. A & C Black.

Clark. G. T. 1884. Mediæval Military Architecture in England, Volume 1. Wyman.

Clark. G. T. 1889. Contribution Towards a Complete List of Moated Mounds or Burghs. The Archaeological Journal, Volume 46, pp. 197-217.

Court of Chancery. 1895. Calendar of the Close Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office. H.M. Stationery Office.

Hastead. E. 1798. The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, Volume 5. W. Bristow.

Historic England – https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1010713.

Ingleton. R. 2013. Fortress Kent. Casemate Publishers.

Newman. J. 1983. North East and East Kent. Yale University Press.

Pettifer. A. 2002. English Castles: A Guide by Counties. Boydell & Brewer.

Robertson. Cannon S. 1883. Roman Canterbury (Durovernum). Archaeologia Cantiana, Volume 15, p. 344.

Whatley. S. 1751. England’s Gazetteer: Or, An Accurate Description of All the Cities, Towns, and Villages of the Kingdom … Vol. I. and Vol. II. Contain a Dictionary of the Cities, Corporations, Market-towns, and the Most Noted Villages; Their Manufactures and Trade … &c. … This Work Includes All the Chief Harbours, Bays, Forests, Hills, Mines … [etc.] and Particularly Shews the Estates that Were Formerly Abbey-lands, Volume 2. J. and P. Knapton.