Monument record TQ 85 NW 4 - Thurnham Castle

Summary

Late eleventh/early twelfth century ringwork and bailey castle built on a steep spur of the North Downs, which commands the Maidstone-Sittingbourne road and the Pilgrim's Way to Canterbury. It consisted of a bailey castle with gatehouse and curtain walls in flint and traces of an oval or polygonal shell keep. The bailey was divided into an inner and outer ward, the latter formed by a bank and ditch on the steep southern slopes of the hill. The site was in a ruinous state by the 16th century. The site was used for an air-raid observation post during the Second World War. Now in the ownership of Kent County Council.

Location

Grid reference Centred TQ 8078 5817 (168m by 100m) FCE
Map sheet TQ85NW
County KENT
District MAIDSTONE, KENT
Civil Parish THURNHAM, MAIDSTONE, KENT

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Type and Period (4)

Full Description

Bartlett-Clark Consultancy, 2004, Thurnham Castle, Thurnham, Maidstone, Kent. Report on Archaeogeophysical Survey 2004 (Unpublished document). SKE13497.

Bartlett-Clark Consultancy, 2004, Thurnham Castle, Thurnham, Maidstone, Kent. Report on Archaeogeophysical Survey 2004 (Unpublished document). Ske13497.

<1> OS 25" 1939 (OS Card Reference). SKE48267.

<2> Memorials of Old Kent 1907 197-8 (ed PH Ditchfield) (OS Card Reference). SKE46884.

<3> VCH Kent 1 1908 423-4 plan (IC Could) (OS Card Reference). SKE50889.

<4> MOW List of Anc Mon Eng & Wales 1958 46 (OS Card Reference). SKE47354.

<5> F1 CFW 20-NOV-61 (OS Card Reference). SKE42673.

<6> F2 NVQ 16-Oct-86 (OS Card Reference). SKE43356.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 85 NW 4 - November, 1961 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4418.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 85 NW 4 - October, 1986 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4419.

<9> St. Blaise Limited, 2002, Conservation of Flint Remains Thurnham Castle Maidstone (Unpublished document). SKE13269.

<10> Alan Ward, 2008, Archaeological recording at Thurnham Castle, near Maidstone (Unpublished document). SKE13549.

<11> Clarity Interpretation, 2007, Thurnham Castle and Iron Age Enclosure, Interpretation and Education Plan (Unpublished document). SKE13563.

<12> Archaeology South-East, 2004, An Archaeological Evaluation at Thurnham Castle, Thurnham, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE13708.

<13> Oxford Archaeology, 2003, Archaeological Recording & Earthwork Survey, Thurnham Castle, Thurnham, Kent: Historic Building Survey (Unpublished document). SKE16530.

<14> 1942, Maidstone Sub-area plan to defeat invasion – amendment no 5 18/5/42,, National Archives (Bibliographic reference). SKE16661.

<15> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

Sources/Archives (17)

  • --- Unpublished document: Bartlett-Clark Consultancy. 2004. Thurnham Castle, Thurnham, Maidstone, Kent. Report on Archaeogeophysical Survey 2004.
  • --- Unpublished document: Bartlett-Clark Consultancy. 2004. Thurnham Castle, Thurnham, Maidstone, Kent. Report on Archaeogeophysical Survey 2004.
  • <1> OS Card Reference: OS 25" 1939.
  • <2> OS Card Reference: Memorials of Old Kent 1907 197-8 (ed PH Ditchfield).
  • <3> OS Card Reference: VCH Kent 1 1908 423-4 plan (IC Could).
  • <4> OS Card Reference: MOW List of Anc Mon Eng & Wales 1958 46.
  • <5> OS Card Reference: F1 CFW 20-NOV-61.
  • <6> OS Card Reference: F2 NVQ 16-Oct-86.
  • <7> Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 85 NW 4 - November, 1961.
  • <8> Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 85 NW 4 - October, 1986.
  • <9> Unpublished document: St. Blaise Limited. 2002. Conservation of Flint Remains Thurnham Castle Maidstone.
  • <10> Unpublished document: Alan Ward. 2008. Archaeological recording at Thurnham Castle, near Maidstone.
  • <11> Unpublished document: Clarity Interpretation. 2007. Thurnham Castle and Iron Age Enclosure, Interpretation and Education Plan.
  • <12> Unpublished document: Archaeology South-East. 2004. An Archaeological Evaluation at Thurnham Castle, Thurnham, Kent.
  • <13> Unpublished document: Oxford Archaeology. 2003. Archaeological Recording & Earthwork Survey, Thurnham Castle, Thurnham, Kent: Historic Building Survey.
  • <14> Bibliographic reference: 1942. Maidstone Sub-area plan to defeat invasion – amendment no 5 18/5/42,, National Archives.
  • <15>XY Scheduling record: English Heritage. Register of Scheduled Monuments. [Mapped feature: #463 Castle, ]

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Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (7)

  • Intrusive Event: Evaluation at Thurnham Castle, Thurnham (Ref: TCA 04) (EKE9970)
  • Intrusive Event: Illegal excavation at Thurnham Castle, Maidstone (EKE9827)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Magnetometry survey at Thurnham Castle (EKE13309)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Resistivity survey at Thurnham Castle (EKE9791)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Standing masonry survey at Thurnham Castle (EKE10773)
  • Non-Intrusive Event: Topographic survey at Thurnham Castle (EKE10774)
  • Intrusive Event: Watching brief during conservation of flint remains, Thurnham Castle, Maidstone (EKE9581)

Related Thematic Articles (3)

Record last edited

Aug 26 2021 5:46PM