Thurnham Castle

Thurnham Castle or Godard's Castle is situated to the north of the village of Thurnham which is 3 miles north-east of Maidstone, Kent (grid reference TQ 808 582).

Thurnham Castle
Kent, England
The surviving wall at Thurnham Castle
Thurnham Castle
Coordinates	51.29422°N 0.59178°E / 51.29422; 0.59178
Grid reference	TQ 808 582
Type	Motte and bailey
Site information
Owner	Kent County Council
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Ruin
Site history
Materials	Flint

It is a 12th-century flint-built castle constructed by Robert of Thurnham in the reign of Henry II on a hill on the edge of the North Downs. One side of the bailey wall still stands 10 foot high and originally it enclosed an area of about a quarter of an acre.

The gatehouse wall of Thurnham Castle

In the 12th century, the site belonged to the de Say family and then the Thurnhams.

The site has been acquired by Kent County Council and included in the White Horse Wood and Country Park Project. Much of the site has been cleared of undergrowth and public access has been provided.

See also

• List of scheduled monuments in Maidstone

References

• Fry, Plantagenet Somerset, The David & Charles Book of Castles, David & Charles, 1980. ISBN 0-7153-7976-3

External links

• A Brief History of Thurnham, Thurnham Parish Council