Aldington Court Lodge

Has been described as a Possible Palace (Bishop)

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameAldington Court Lodge
Alternative Names
Historic CountryKent
Modern AuthorityKent
1974 AuthorityKent
Civil ParishAldington

Farmhouse incorporating remains of Archiepiscopal hunting lodge. C14, much extended c.1500 and altered early Cl9. Ragstone, with some brick dressings and repairs, with plain tiled roofs. Entrance front: early C19, re-using medieval stone and possibly foundations. Two storeys with brick quoins and corbelled eaves to roof with kneelered parapet gables and stacks to left and to right. Three segmentally headed glazing bar sashes on each floor and ribbed panelled door to centre left. Long 2 storey wing extending to rear, with irregular wooden casements and boarded doors, and C14 blocked traceried windows on north and south elevations; and 1 to east elevation; one on south especially revealing tracery pattern (3 daggers over 2 cinquefoiled lights). Hipped extension with weather boarded outshot at north-east end. A second parallel range is adjacent to the south, the west and east ends rebuilt in late C20 brick (old photographs show oast roundels), the other elevation of stone and early C18 brickwork, used as garage/ stabling, with boarded door and ventilation slits, with jambs of blocked medieval window exposed. Interior: the main range to rear with screens- passage (stone jambs to cross-passage doors survive) 3 windows traceable on each long side, and 1 large eastern window and smoke-blackened barrel roof, and is probably the great hall not a chapel as previously maintained. The southern range may wellbe a kitchen block in origin. C17 inserted stacks with inglenooks, and beamed ceilings in main range. This was a manor house and hunting lodge of the Archbishops of Canterbury, particularly favoured and improved by Archbishops Morton (1486-1500) and Wareham (1508-1532), both of whom also embellished the adjacent parish Church of St. Martin. The house, park and Chase (some 1000 acres) were bought and extended by Henry VII in 1540, the whole complex said to have 5 kitchens, 6 stables and 8 dovecotes. (Listed Building Report)

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2* 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 ReferenceTR075361
Latitude51.0875511169434
Longitude0.96204000711441
Eastings607540
Northings136190
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 3 Southern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 320-25
  • Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p. 170
  • Pearson, Sarah, Barnwell, P.S. and Adams, A.T., 1994, A gazetteer of medieval houses in Kent p. 3
  • Newman, John, 1983, Buildings of England: North east and east Kent (Harmondsworth) p. 127
  • Igglesden, C., 1919, Saunter through Kent with Pen and Pencil Vol. 13
  • Hasted, Edward, 1801, The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent Vol. 12 p. 524-5 online transcription
  • Hasted, Edward, 1799 (2edn), The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent Vol. 8 p. 314- online transcription

Journals

  • Parkin, E.W., 1971, 'Cobb's Hall, Aldington, and the Holy Maid of Kent' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 86 p. 15 online copy
  • Cheney, A.D., 1904, 'Richard Masters, Parson of Aldyngton' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol. 10 p. 16 online copy

Other

  • Payne, Naomi, 2003, The medieval residences of the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Salisbury (PhD Thesis University of Bristol) Appendix B: List of Medieval Bishop's Palaces in England and Wales (available via EThOS)