Castlefacts³

Brocket

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are no visible remains

Name	Brocket
Alternative Names	Brockle
Historic Country	Kent
Modern Authority	Kent
1974 Authority	Kent
Civil Parish	Tenterden/Stone-cum-Ebony

In 1487 John Guldeford received a licence to 'crenellate the manors or tenements of Halden, Tenterden, Brockle and Hertrigge, in the parishes of Rolvenden, Tenderden, Crambroke and Ebney, co. Kent'.

BROCKET is another small manor here, which had antiently owners of the same name, who were of sufficient note to have their arms carved, among those of the rest of the nobility and gentry of this county, on the roof of the cloysters in Canterbury, being, Or, a cross flory, sable; and they seem to have continued owners of it till king Henry IV.'s reign, when it was alienated to William Guldeford, in whose descendants it remained till Sir John Guldeford sold it in the 30th year of king Henry VIII. to Sir John Hales, baron of the exchequer, who at his death gave it to his youngest son Edward Hales, esq. who was seated at Tenterden, in whose descendants, as I am informed, it has continued down to Sir Edward Hales, bart. of St. Stephen's, the present owner of it. (Hasted)

Gatehouse Comments

There is no manor called Brockle recorded in Hasted's history in Cranbrook parish. Hasted does recount a Guldeford Shield of Arms, quarted with Halden, in the church but does not associated Guldeford with any of the many Cranbrook manors although he does state John Guildford was a 'neighbour' to Walter Roberts of Glassenbury Manor 3 miles NW of the church. It is entirely possible that 'Brockle' is a mistranscribing of roll entry. Brocket, in Ebney parish, was held by the Guldeford's. Hartridge was a manor in Cranbrook and it seems the last two parish names have been swapped in order. On this bases this licenced house is identified as Brocket Manor in Ebney.The location of the medieval manor of Brocket is uncertain but a Brocket Farm exists at TQ922304. This is in the modern CP of Tenterden, but on the boundary with Stone cum Ebony CP and the site of St Mary's, the parish church of Ebony (Ebney, Ebeney) was on Chapel Hill at TQ928297. Given the nature of the land in the era before large scale field drainage the area for a manor house would be restricted and it seems probably that Brocket Farm (which, despite not being listed, may well date to C17) represents the site of the Guldeford manor house.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record

webapps.kent.gov.uk/KCC.ExploringKentsPast.Web.Sites.Public/Default.aspx

OS Map Grid Reference	TQ922304
Latitude	51.0415496826172
Longitude	0.741490006446838
Eastings	592200
Northings	130400