Scheduled Monuments›England›Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence

Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence

England

List entry 1013537

Nation

England

The designation

Reference

List entry 1013537

Authority

Historic England (NHLE)

Status

Scheduled Monument

Scheduled area

0.25 hectares

Grid reference

TQ 81554 49108

Boundary

Scheduled area

Overview

History & significance

Sutton Valence Castle is a Norman keep located in the village of Sutton Valence in Kent, England. The tower keep dates from the 12th century and represents a characteristic example of Norman military architecture, commanding views over the surrounding landscape from its elevated position. The castle survives as the substantial remains of a stone keep, evidence of its original importance as a defensive stronghold during the medieval period. The site reflects the Norman strategy of establishing fortified positions throughout Kent following the Conquest, though the castle saw limited military action and eventually fell into decline.

Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1013537. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence?

Sutton Valence Castle is a Norman keep located in the village of Sutton Valence in Kent, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1013537.

Who is responsible for protecting Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence?

Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence 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 1013537.

What other scheduled monuments are near Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Medieval moated site, East Sutton (1.5 km), Leeds Priory: Augustinian Priory of St Mary and St Nicholas with associated dovecotes and slype, and the site of the 18th century Meredith mansion (4 km), Boughton Quarry camp (5.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview

An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.

Monuments

The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.

Battlefields

The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.

Roman Britain

The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.

Domesday

The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.

Civil War

The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.

LiDAR

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.

Local Names

What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.

Historical Maps

Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.

Literature

The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Legal

The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Target Zones

For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.

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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Medieval moated site, East Sutton

1.5 km

Leeds Priory: Augustinian Priory of St Mary and St Nicholas with associated dovecotes and slype, and the site of the 18th century Meredith mansion

Medieval moated site, Ripple Manor

7.6 km

Hollingbourne Second World War Zero Station

8.1 km

The College of All Saints

8.3 km

Tithe barn, Mill Street

8.4 km

The ground beneath

The bedrock under Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence

Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence stands on Lower Greensand Group, bedrock that formed in the Albian. The rock here is sandstone and mudstone.

The wider landscape

Around Tower keep castle at Sutton Valence

RochesterRoman town · ~12.9 miles CanterburyRoman town · ~21.3 miles Battle of Hastings 1066Battle (1066) · ~21.3 miles

Domesday entry for Sutton, Kent →

All Scheduled Monuments