South Kyme Tower

In the civil parish of South Kyme. In the historic county of Lincolnshire (Modern Authority of Lincolnshire, 1974 county of Lincolnshire).

Slender tower, of C14, is all that remains of the castle which was built between 1310 and 1381, it was surrounded by a moat, which still survives as an earthwork. Mid C14 with additions, removed c.1725. Built for Sir Gilbert de Umfraville. Coursed limestone ashlar. 4-storey, square tower 77 ft high, with square projecting stair tower at the south-east corner which rises slightly higher than the main tower. Deeply chamfered plinth and 2 chamfered upper floor bands, topped with chamfered battlements. The south, entrance front, bears scars on the ground and first floors of the later attached house which has since been removed. The floor of the first floor room is reputedly patterned, hence its name 'the Chequered Chamber' thought this is not at present visible. No floors, ceilings or roofs survive higher up, though evidence for them does survive. The circular stone spiral staircase survives intact, with at the top a central newel post which rises as a colonnette to support the panelled vault above. The lower contains no fireplaces or guard robes, and it was presumably intended purely for defence, it stands within a large moated site. The attached house was demolished between 1720 and 1725, when chimney-pieces were bought by Mr Chaplin for Blankney Hall. This tower is the earliest of a series of fortified towers built in this part of Lincolnshire, it is the only one built of stone, the later ones like Tattershall Castle, The Tower on the Moor at Woodhall Spa, the Hussey Tower at Boston and Rochford Tower at Skirbeck are all built of brick. It is also has been suggested as one (surviving or intended) of four corner towers of a courtyard castle.
The site may also have been the location of the pre-Conquest manor of Earl Morcar, close to the possible site of the suggested early monastic foundation. By the time of the Domesday Book the estate was in the hands of the King, and subsequently it passed to the Kyme family, and they held it as a demesne manor until it was acquired by the Umfraville family. Consequently the moat may be earlier than the fourteenth century manor house. (Healey and Roffe)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 192771)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TF16854961

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 351033
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 60732 '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.roffe.co.uk/earthworks/moats/kyme.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/skyme.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p61
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p296
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p145
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p260
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1964, Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Harmondsworth) p641
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p442-3
    Trollope, E., 1872, Sleaford and Wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn in the County of Lincoln (London) p249-52
    White, W., 1856, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire p448-9
• Journal Articles
  • Clapham, A., 1946, 'Kyme Castle: The Tower' Archaeological Journal Vol103 p189-90
    Kirk, 1881, Associated Architectural Societies' reports and papers [Lincoln, York, Northampton, Bedford, Worcester, Leicester and Sheffield] Vol16 p27-9
    1826, Gentleman's Magazine pt1 p305 http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027525503
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • English Heritage, 1994, Revised Scheduling Document 22622. MPP22
    Healey, R.H. and Roffe, D.R., Some medieval and later earthworks in South Lincolnshire p97-9 (unpub)