Dilham Hall

Description

The core of a C15 fortified house, Dilham Castle. The site includes a medieval tower bonded to the remains of a contemporary wall. They are dated to C15 and are believed to have formed part of the outer wall of the fortified house, probably built by Sir Henry Inglose. The tower stands to almost the full original height of two storeys with a parapet above. In plan it forms five sides of a regular octagon. The attached wall from which it projects extends up to approximately 5.8m west of the tower and 3.7m to the east but has been cut down in steps so as to form buttress-like projections. The tower and the original parts of the wall are constructed chiefly of flint with ashlar dressings. Both stand on a plinth of coarse flint about 1 metre in height with brick quoins at the angles of the tower and a chamfered stone offset. Above the offset they are faced with closely set knapped flint and galetting, with ashlar quoins, and the bond between the tower and the wall is reinforced at intervals on the outer face with brick of medieval type. The tower was restored sometime before 1904 and the remains of the adjoining wall were refaced on the south side and capped with brick and cement. The rear door of the tower which includes a round arched doorway at ground floor level and a rectangular opening above it giving access to the first floor, is constructed largely of post-medieval and modern brick with cement rendering and is supported by brick buttresses. Fragments of an earlier flint wall are visible on the interior face over the modern opening at first floor level and much of the original parapet, including the outer facing, survives above this. To the east of the tower is a niche formed by the remains of a medieval window with broken tracery reset into the modern facing of the attached wall. (PastScape)