Polton Manor (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Poltmans; Poulton

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

OS Map Grid Reference: TR28055772
Latitude 51.27340° Longitude 1.26829°

Polton Manor has been described as a probable Fortified Manor House.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

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

Description

THE MANOR OF POLTON, as it is usually called, is situated in the part of this parish next to Ash; its original name was Poltmans, being so called from a family who resided at it, their mansion here being castellated and surrounded with a moat, and they continued lords of it down to Peter Poltman, who was possessed of it in the reign of king Richard II. in the 15th year of which he passed it away, by fine, to Langley, of Knolton, in whom the possession of it remained till king Henry VI.'s reign, when it was alienated to Sir John Whyte, of Canterbury, whose descendant Thomas Whyte, in pursuance of his father's will, which directed it to be sold for charitable uses, conveyed it to Richard Boteler, of Heronden, in Eastry, and in his descendants it staid till the beginning of king James I.'s reign, when William Boteler sold it to Benskin, from whom it descended down to Vincent Benskin, who possessed it in the 22d year of king Charles II. (Hasted)

A shallow depression, to the east of the house alongside the road, which is wet in winter, is probably the only remains of the moat. (PastScape ref. Field Investigators Comments F1 FGA 02.JUL.64)

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1203887
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 466271.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) TR 25 NE 94.

Books
- Newman, John, 1983, Buildings of England: North east and east Kent (Harmondsworth) p. 130
  Gould, I. Chalkley, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Kent Vol. 1 p. 428 online copy
  Hasted, Edward, 1799 (2edn), The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent Vol. 10 p. 138
Periodical Articles
- Bond, C.J., 1979, Moated Sites Research Group Report No. 6 p. 48
  Tatton-Brown, T., 1977, 'Investigations and Excavations during the Year' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 93 p. 222 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.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
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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