LEYBOURNE CASTLE

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The ruins of Leybourne Castle consisting of the remnants of a gatehouse and part of a round angle tower dating from the late 13th century. The gatehouse has been partly incorporated into a house of 16th century date which was rebuilt in the 1931. The shell of a chapel remains but it has been modernised and re-roofed and few original features survive. Scheduled.

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[TQ 6885 5891] Leybourne Castle on site of Leybourne Castle [NR]Moat [NR] (1)

Leybourne - a minor castle erected temp. Richard I. A great part of the walls may be Norman but it is generally of Henry III. A ruined,
machicolated gateway is perhaps Edward III and has two drum towers. The Hall has vanished but one of the ranges which remains seems to have lain next to it and contained apartments. The remains of the chapel are a short distance to the north and it had an arched porch. A dwelling-house was erected in the 16th century which was converted into a farmhouse during the past century. [Descent of manor given from Domesday to date of writing]. (2)

The gateway of Leybourne Castle, of about 1300, has a [water] shoot, the stone work of which is intact ... the slot resembling that of a letter box, measures 1ft 7.5ins by 2ins. On the inside it opens funnel-shaped in the sill of the window about the slot. There are
indications that it was lined with lead. (3)

....the ....gatehouse ....of the castle of Leybourne ... shows a
bulge ...containing latrines. (4)

Additional references. (5,6)

Rebuilt as a modern house, January 1931, and very well done. (7)

Leybourne Castle (name confirmed by owner) is a modern house built in 16th century style incorporating the remains of the earlier castle. Of the original castle little now remains except the gatehouse, the chapel and a fragment of a wall-tower, all contained within a small, near circular bailey and surrounded by a (probably dry) moat, the east quadrant of which has been destroyed. The gatehouse, partly incorporated in the modern house comprises a gateway flanked by two drum towers intact to first floor level, which retain a number of original features including arrow-loops, portcullis grooves, the water-shoot referred to by Toy and an old well in the east drum tower.. (see GPs AO/59/56/8 - from south west and 59/57/1 and 2 from north east and north west).
The shell of the chapel remains but it has been modernised and re-roofed and few original features survive.
(See GP AO/59/57/3 from north east).
A fragment only of the (?SE) wall-tower is now standing to approx
first-floor level including a window: it is probably contemporary
with the gatehouse (ie. 1300) (See GP AO/59/57/4 - from west).
A 25" survey has been carried out. (8)

Checked and correct. (9)

Leybourne Castle. Grade II*. Close to the church are the remains of a castle of Norman foundation. The chief remnant is the gateway built during the reign of Edward III. [For full description see list]. (10)

Leybourne Castle. From the road one sees only the Walter Godfrey's sophisticated essay of 1930 in a free Cotswold vernacular. Why he chose this far from obvious style is explained on the north side, by the lower half of a fortified stone gatehouse. Two broad semi-circular turrets and a triple-chambered depressed arch between them, arrow-slits in the turrets and widish square windows above. Portcullis groove and the beginning of an upper arch over the entrance. The entrance passage had a rib vault. Internally evidence of upper rooms and a vaulted garderobe in the round-ended addition to the right turret. No securely dateable feature. Would the early 14th century fit best? Part of a round turret stands detached from the south end of the house. The outbuilding to the west of it has medieval walls. The enraving in Harris's History of Kent, 1719, suggests that these fragments belonged to a not quite regular rectangle of curtain walls. But old drawings show a confused medieval building on the site of the present house, with one trefoiled window. (11)

Leybourne Castle - full description. (12)

TQ 688 589 Leybourne Castle. Listed as a moated site in the County checklists for Kent 1977 and 1979. (13-14)

TQ 688589. Leybourne Castle (uninhabited parts) scheduled, county number 35. (15)

Listed by Cathcart King. (16)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1936

( 2) JD MACKENZIE 1897 CASTLES OF ENGLAND

Page(s)29

( 3) by Sidney Toy 1953 The castles of Great Britain

Page(s)240

( 4) by Hugh Braun 1936 The English castle

Page(s)92

( 5) by Geo T Clark 1884 Medieval military architecture in England. Volume 2

2 Page(s)188

( 6) edited by William Page 1908 The Victoria history of the county of Kent, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)481

( 7) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

Rec 6" (Anon undated)

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

F1 AC 03-AUG-59

( 9) Field Investigators Comments

F2 FGA 19-FEB-64

(10) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

MHLG Malling RD Kent May 1950 56

(11) by John Newman 1976 West Kent and the Weald

The buildings of England Page(s)380

(12) by Geo T Clark 1884 Medieval military architecture in England. Volume 2

2 Page(s)188-9

(13) Moated Sites Research Group report

6 Page(s)47

(14) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

1977(T Tatton-Brown) 93 Page(s)22

(15) by Dept of the Environment (Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments) 1981 Ancient Monuments Records Manual and county sites and monuments records

Department Environment Advisory Note 1978 32 Page(s)112

(16) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

Page(s)233

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