 Eynsford Castle
Dating back to the 11th century, the remains of one of the earliest stone castles
in England can be seen in the picturesque little village of Eynsford.
The man-made site had been in use during Saxon times, but work on Eynsford
Castle did not begin until 1088 when William de Eynsford inherited the
manor from his father.
Simple in plan, the original castle consisted of a stone structure located
within a bailey, and fully enclosed by a flint curtain wall. Various
12th century buildings were contained in the bailey, but the most important
comprised the living accommodation, with a private solar, and a large
hall situated on the first floor. The hall was gutted by a fire in the
early part of the 13th century, and a major re-building of Eynsford Castle
took place soon after. Much of the debris from the fire fell through
the floor of the undercroft and, when this was reconstructed, the builders
simply raised the floor level to contain the waste material. Today,
only the massive walls of the undercroft remain. At the same time that
these building works were being carried out, a main gatehouse was added.
Only fragments now exist and it has been difficult to determine the
exact appearance from the evidence, but it has been suggested that it
was a rectangular, single storey building.
Despite an obviously busy period of re-building, Eynsford Castle had become
deserted less than one hundred years later following deliberate destruction
of the living accommodation. The estate was sold to the Harts of nearby
Lullingstone
Castle in the early 16th century, and it was their descendants
who converted the ruins of Eynsford Castle for use as stables and hunting
kennels in the mid 18th century. By the end of the 19th century preservation
work had begun but, unfortunately, the castle ruins were largely unrecognisable
through natural decay and neglect.
Vast craggy sections of the curtain wall have survived, some standing to a height of 30ft (9m), and
evidence of the latrines can be found along them. The stone gate tower
to the south of the building dates from the early 12th century, but
all other fragmentary remains date from the 13th century 'new building'.
Yet among these long-abandoned, rugged stone structures, Eynsford Castle
manages to cling onto an air of romanticism.
Perhaps this is due to the idyllic, and unlikely, setting in the middle of a
peaceful Kentish village, or maybe the undiscovered secrets held within
its ancient walls give the site an enchanting atmosphere. |
