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Thurnham motte and bailey castle is a Norman fortification situated in Kent, England, dating to the eleventh or twelfth century. The castle comprises a substantial motte with an adjoining bailey, representing the typical earthwork defensive architecture of the post-Conquest period. Located near the village of Thurnham, the monument survives as a significant archaeological testimony to early Norman settlement and territorial control in the region. The earthwork fortifications remain substantially preserved, providing evidence of the strategic military infrastructure established across Kent following 1066.
Thurnham motte and bailey castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1012226. View the official record →
Thurnham motte and bailey castle is a Norman fortification situated in Kent, England, dating to the eleventh or twelfth century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1012226.
Thurnham motte and bailey castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1012226.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Building crop mark, possibly 'Corbier Hall' (1.3 km), Medieval moated site, Ripple Manor (1.9 km), Cistercian Abbey at Boxley (4.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Thurnham motte and bailey castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Thurnham motte and bailey castle stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.