Shoreham Castle

Description

Scant traces of stone castle known as Lullingstone untill 1738 when house at Lullingstone Park took the name. Recorded as Medieval Manor House in PastScape.

Shoreham Castle, formerly called Lullingstone, was a manor in the early C14, (Hesketh) and it is so described until 1715. It was in ruins in Leland's time (Hasted), and the only surviving remains are two massive fragments of flint walling immediately E. of the present farmhouse. Traces of a moat are mentioned by M.H.L.G. but no evidence of this could be found. The present farmhouse built out of the ruins (Hasted) is an irregular-shaped timber-framed structure, much altered in the C18 and C19 and of little architectural interest. (PastScape ref. F1 ASP 17-DEC-64)

Wall to East of Castle Farmhouse Mediaeval flint rubble retaining wall to east side of house. (Listed Building Report)

SHOREHAM-CASTLE, formerly called Lullingstone, alias Shoreham-castle, is situated close to the river Darent, on the western side of it, and near adjoining to the southern pales of Lullingstone park. To this castle there was a manor appendant, called the manor of Lulling stone-castle, of which Hugo de Poyntz died possessed in the 1st year of Edward II. In the 20th year of Edward III. Sir Roger de Chaundois paid aid for the manor of Lullingstone-castle, as one knights fee, which Hugo de Poyntz before held of the archbishop of Canterbury. In the reign of Edward IV. John de Neuburgh brought his plea against Robert Poyntz for this manor before the king's justices, Thomas Bourchier, archbishop of Canterbury, having remitted for that time only, with a saving of the right of himself and his successors, the jurisdiction of trying the same in his own court. (Harl. MSS. No. 324-3.) The former seems to have prevailed in this suit, and to have established himself and his descendants in the possession of this place; one of whom, Roger Newborough, in the 3d and 4th years of Philip and Mary, had possession granted of this manor, or castle of Lullingstone, alias Le Castell, with its appurtenances, holding it of the king in capite, as of the honour of Otford, by knights service. (Rot Esch.) In the 17th year of queen Elizabeth, John Newborough levied a fine of these premises, and then passed them away by sale to Thomas Polhill, of Preston, in this parish, whose descendant, John Polhill, of Preston, conveyed this estate, by sale, to Paul D' Aranda, esq. and his eldest son, Paul D' Aranda, esq. of Putney, in Surry, in 1715, sold both castle and manor to John Borrett, esq. whose descendant, Thomas Borrett, late of New-house, is the present owner of them. Shoreham-castle, as it is now called, has been long in ruins; Leland tells us it was so in his time, in the reign of king Henry VIII. The present farm-house seems to have been built out of the ruins. (Hasted)

Comments

Hasted writes that Leland identified it as ruinous in his time, but I can not find this reference unless it is Lelands 'castle towards Cray water' but Leland records this as belonging to Hart and Hasted does not record the Hart family as owning Shoreham castle (he seems to suggest it was held directly by the archbishop of Canterbury at this time but went to the Newborough family in the reign of Mary)