Barnard Castle, Kent

Description

King lists as an unidentified castle reported by Moore, perhaps Tonge. Listed by Harvey who separately lists Tong. Harvey's list was a collation of various authors, including Moore, who, himself, was only collating the work of earlier writers (most notably Wm Dugdale and John Leland). Moore writes near to Milton. Hasted records that the manor of Milsted, a surbordinate manor of Milton, came into the possession of a John Barnard in 17 Henry VII (1501-2) but his grandson died in 14 Henry VIII (1523-4) when the Barnard's ceased to hold the manor.

Manor house. C16 to C18. Timber framed and close-studded on flint plinth, the central portion underbuilt with red brick, the left end bay entirely faced with red brick in header bond; plain tiled roof. Two storeys, with gables at ends to left and right, that to right jettied that to left underbuilt with brick, and central 2 storey brick and timber framed gabled porch, all with moulded bargeboards and pendants. Stack to left, and clock turret to right with ogee-cap. Irregular fenestration of segmental oriels on brackets on first floor in left and right gables with wood casements in central porch, and blocked mullion window to right. Segmental bay window to end left, and 3 wood casements on ground floor. Plank and stud door in moulded surround in porch, with chamfered round-headed brick outer doorway. Right return front continous jettied. Three timber-framed return wings to rear. Interior: now with (incorrect) open hall. C17 panelling in Dining Room, and 2-stage wood panelled fire surround with baluster-columns with bead ornament. (Listed Building Report)

Comments

Milsted Manor is said to date from 1500 in the Kent HER and thus may well have been built by Barnard. Nothing about this house suggests it was fortified, however it was quite large, had been the site of a manor held by several noble families, and may have had decorative turrets and crenellations before later alterations. Gatehouse is unable to identify any other reference to a Barnard Castle in Kent. Whilst it would not be unusual for a grand house like Milstead Manor to have a castle name the lack of references must make this a provisional and suspect identification.
It is also possible that Barnard Castle is a mistranscribing of Bayford Castle. In modern print these may seem clearly different but in gothic print or manuscript, read by candlelight, such a transcription error is entirely possible. There doesn't seem any reason to think this was Tonge.