Aylesford Church

Has been described as a Questionable Masonry Castle

There are uncertain remains

NameAylesford Church
Alternative NamesSt Peter's Church
Historic CountryKent
Modern AuthorityKent
1974 AuthorityKent
Civil ParishAylesford

The ford here was from early times regarded as of great importance, as being more easily crossed than that at Rochester, and more 'difficult to defend ; but the Normans erected a small castle to protect it, the keep of which forms the lower part of the present church tower. It was across this ford that Hengist and his Jutes crossed into West Kent after he had defeated the Britons in the year 455. (Ditchfield and Clinch)

Gatehouse Comments

Church Tower has been identified as a former Norman keep but is rejected by King as always a Church Tower. Listed by Harvey as a castle with no remains so possible a castle was here. Leland includes Aylesford in a list of places in Kent with castles. Aylesford is a significant crossing of the Medway and most other crossing points of the river have a castle.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTQ729590
Latitude51.3040313720703
Longitude0.479570001363754
Eastings572940
Northings159020
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 238 (reject)
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Ditchfield and Clinch, 1907, Memorials of Old Kent (London) p. 329 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 250
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1909, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 4 p. 47 online copy