Dent de Lion, Margate

Description

Dent-de-Lion gatehouse represents the only standing remains of an otherwise demolished fortified house. It survives well, retaining most of its original fabric, including interesting decorative details, and provides evidence for the high architectural quality and importance of the house during the medieval period. The monument includes a medieval gatehouse representing the standing remains of a contemporary fortified house, situated on the western edge of Garlinge, around 1km inland from the north Thanet coast. The Grade II-star Listed gatehouse has been dated to the early 15th century and survives in almost complete form, with some subsequent restoration and repair. It is a tall, roughly east-west aligned, rectangular building faced with alternating horizontal bands of coursed squared, knapped flint and red and yellow brick, decorated with ashlar dressings. The main approach to the gatehouse was from the south, and the southern facade is pierced by a tall carriage entrance, headed by a segmental arch. This is flanked to the west by a smaller, pointed archway for pedestrians. The entrance way is topped with a crenellated parapet. To the rear is a single, large, round-headed archway with flint dressings. Flanking the cobble-faced entrance passage are four tall, square, embattled corner towers pierced by gunloops and arrow slits. Each tower contains a newel staircase giving access to the roof. Further architectural decorations include a stone string course over the entrance archways and a carved stone shield over the carriage arch, representing the coat of arms of the Daundelyon family, for whom the gatehouse was built. (Scheduling Report)

A C15 gateway consisting of a flat stone carriage arch and pointed arch for pedestrians beside it. These are stone faced. The arches are flanked by 4 square towers, alternately composed of it courses of knapped flints and 4 courses of red brick with long and short stone quoins at tile base of the towers and battlements over. A few corbels remain. Crenellated centre, arrow-slit windows and each tower has a newel staircase. The rear has an arch of flintwork only, unknapped and with brick quoins. (Listed Building Report)

This antient seat has for some length of time been made use of as a place of public resort, with a bowling green and other accommodations for the purpose. It seems as if it had been antiently walled round very strongly, according to the manner of that age, for a defence against bows and arrows; part of this wall is still standing, with the gate-house, built with bricks and flints in rows, with loop-holes and battlements at top. Over the main gate are the arms of Daundelyon as above-mentioned; on the right side of this gate is a smaller one for common use, at the right corner of which is a blank escutcheon, and at the left corner a demi lion, rampant, with a label out of his mouth, on which is written, DAUNDELYONN. (Hasted)

Comments

The building is constructed of alternate bands of squared, knapped flints, and bricks, mostly red, but yellow in the turret-tops. Not a fortified building according to King but described as a fortified manor by Guy. Gatehouse does have gun loops and portcullis slot.