Lympne Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Stutfall; Studfall; Lym; Lymne; Lyme; Lymehille; Belleanow

In the civil parish of Lympne. In the historic county of Kent (Modern Authority of Kent, 1974 county of Kent).

Fortified house, formerly a residence of the Archdeacons of Canterbury. The east tower is probably C13 in date, with a service range to the south and C14 hall to the west. The west tower is also C14, with a semi-circular extension added to the west side in C15. The house was restored and extended in 1907 and 1911-12 by Lorimer. Sections of the original can be distinguished in the modern building. Built of ragstone, with ashlar dressings and plain tile roofs. Stutfall is the name usual given to the Roman Saxon Shore fort at the base of the cliff overlooked by Lympne, but is occassional also given to the medieval site. However, it is possible that medieval references taken to be this castle may refer to the Roman fort or the medieval castle known as Court at Street.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TR11923467

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 463996
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is TR 13 SW 4 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.lympnecastle.co.uk/
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/lympne.html
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p369
    Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern) p55
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p123
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p238
    Guy, John, 1980, Kent Castles (Meresborough Books)
    Smithers, David Waldron, 1980, Castles in Kent (Chatham)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p258
    Bennett, D., 1977, A handbook of Kent's defences from 1540 until 1945 p38
    Newman, John, 1976, The buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald (Harmondsworth) p394
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p30
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p306
    Hasted, Edward, 1799 (2edn), A History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol8 p282- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63487
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol3 p66-7
• Journal Articles
  • Rigold, S.E., 1970, Archaeological Journal Vol126 p260-262
    1918, The Builder Vol114 p9-10
    Aymer Vallance, 1914, 'Lymne Castle' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol18 p.lii-lv
    1914, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol20 p206-7
    1910 Dec, Country Life Vol28 p682-9
    1896, Archaeological Journal Vol53 p387
    Canon Scott Robertson, 1889, 'Lymne Castle and Church' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol18 p436-446
    1884, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol40 p2337
• Guidebooks
  • Margary, Harry, n.d. c. 1960, Guide to Lympne Castle, Kent
    Anon, n.d., Lympne Castle, Kent (London and Ashford: Headley Brothers)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p250, 256-7
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell & Sons; London) Vol4 p65-6