Eythorne Court (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Egethorne

In the civil parish of Eythorne.
In the historic county of Kent.
Modern Authority of Kent.
1974 county of Kent.
Medieval County of Kent.

OS Map Grid Reference: TR27894939
Latitude 51.19829° Longitude 1.26057°

Eythorne Court has been described as a probable Fortified Manor House.

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*.

Description

In 1448 Sir Thomas Browne was granted a licence to crenellate his manor of Egethorne, Kent. Eythorne Court.

C15 in origin, major alterations and extensions C16, C18 and late C19. Flint and red brick, in part rendered, with plain tiled roof. L-shaped building. Entrance in rear courtyard; 2 storey main block faced in C18 red brick, hipped roof with rear stacks with 2 storey hipped wing to left. Irregular fenestration of wooden casements, some with arched heads. Rib and stud door in four centred arched doorway with chamfer and label, all in moulded brickwork, in gabled porch at end left of wing. Garden front: 2 storeys on plinth, all of flint except left end upper storey rebuilt with red brick in English bond. Hipped roof. Two massive offset stacks in flint project at left and at right. Three sashes on first floor, and 2 on ground floor with central panelled door in trellised gabled porch. Blocked round headed openings to left in brick section. Interior: Crown post roof reported. Heavily altered late C19 by the Bethlem Hospital (then owners), destroying many features, but subsequently restored. Possibly originally built mid C15 for Sir Thomas Bourne, granted licence to embattle (and impark). (Listed Building Report)

Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, comptroller and treasurer of the household, who in the 27th year of it, obtained the grant of a fair on the day of St. Peter ad vincula yearly, in this parish of Eythorne, and another soon afterwards for liberty to embattle, and impark, and for free warren likewise, within this manor, with other liberties, and in his descendants the property of this manor continued down to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose lands were disgavelled by the acts of the 1st and 8th years of queen Elizabeth. (Hasted)

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1448 Dec 10 (Click on the date for details of this licence.).

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1070315
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) TR 24 NE 177.

Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 3 Southern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 440
  Igglesden, Charles, 1927, A Saunter Through Kent with Pen and Pencil Vol. 20 p. 44
  Hasted, Edward, 1800 (2edn), The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent Vol. 10 p. 64-7 online transcription
Periodical Articles
- Coulson, Charles, 2007-8, 'On Crenellating, in Kent and Beyond - A Retrospection' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 21 p. 189-201 esp p. 199-200
  1980 Oct., Kent Life
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1927, Calendar of Charter Rolls 5 Henry VI - 8 Henry VIII, AD 1427-1516, with an appendix, 1215-1288 Vol. 6. (HMSO) p. 102 online copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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