Number 24 - Eynsford Castle
We planned a day trip round Kent seeing castles, and this was the first one on our agenda. It's run by the English Heritage and is an early example of a Norman enclosure castle. Though there wasn't loads to see, I really liked Eynsford, the views over the surrounding fields and landscape were really beautiful. And going in November 2012 meant we got a nice hit of Autumn colours, which I love!
You could just about make out where walls and partitions would have existed and there was information about what would have happened in these different rooms which I found interesting.
Eynsford in an unusual castle as it didn't have a keep or a main tower. Instead, the bedrooms and living areas were situated on the first floor, much more like a regular house. Maybe they never felt at threat in good old Kent.
Costs: Free
Hints and tips: There isn't much directly around this castle, but the village seemed sweet and it's in a really beautiful bit of England.
Find out more about other castles we've explored, and why we're doing this in the first place.
Number 27 - Sutton Valence Castle
While on a day trip to Kent in November 2012, we decided to pay a visit to Sutton Valence castle.
While driving down little country lanes to find it, we got completely lost and had to ask a man wandering around in his wellingtons. He looked very concerned when we said we were trying to find the castle and said 'you do know it's a ruin don't you?'.
He was telling the truth. There really isn't much castle to see at Sutton Valence. Though it is free to get in. It's managed by the English Heritage and is at a nice vantage point over a sweet little village. It's the ruins of a small 12th century Norman Keep. Really there were just two walls which you could walk through and then there was another wall fragment. That was kind of it.
Cost: Free
Hints and tips: don't go out of your way to see it, but it's near lots of lovely towns and villages if you fancy a day out in Kent.
Number 28 - Sissinghurst Castle
I really regret not spending longer at Sissinghurst castle. We'd been to a few castles in Kent on this day in November 2012 and it was the last one, so we were both a bit zonked, plus the castle itself wasn't open when we got there.
It's run by the National Trust and looked really beautiful with all the autumnal colours. We wandered around the edge of the building, and there was the opportunity of doing some much longer walks, but it was getting late.
There was a big gift shop with lots of lovely food and nic-nacs to buy. Chloe bought us both a little Christmas decoration - a hen. In fact, now I come to think of it, maybe it was just a 'decoration' rather than a 'Christmas decoration' as I've had it hanging in my kitchen all year.
Cost: £12 approx
Hints and tips: lots to do and a restaurant on site so you could really spend a good amount of time here. Really nice walks round the grounds which would also be lovely.
Number 26 - Rochester castle
We visited Rochester in November 2012 on a day-long castle expedition to Kent. It's run by English Heritage and sits overlooking the harbour. We parked a bit further away from the castle and walked up the hill. It's in a pretty central location, so you could visit the town as well and have a full day there.
From the outside, you can only see the Norman tower, but once you get inside it's pretty mammoth. The tower was built in 1127 by William of Corbeil and it's 1313 feet high.
You could walk round the inside of the castle through passageways, and you could climb up all 4 flights. When we got to the top level it was open air and looked out over the grounds and the harbours/river which was lovely.
Cost: £6 for adults
Want to know why we're visiting all these castles, check out my first blog.
Number 25 - St Leonard's Tower
St Leonard's Tower is literally just a tower.... and you can't get inside. It's run by English Heritage and lives on the side of a road in Kent. It's a Norman tower keep and has been built on a sandstone ledge near a narrow valley. The views were good, and I love sandstone, but you couldn't see much of it.
There was a sign on the door that said it was an 'administration tower', we do NOT know what this means. Chloe was not impressed at all.
Very little is known about this castle, including who built it or why. So it was more the kind of building we just observed, wandered round, ran back down the hill to the car and darted off to the next castle.
Cost: Free
Hints and tips: We parked up the road in a car park opposite that looked like it was near some nice walks.
