More information : [TQ 99397153] Shurland [NR] (Remains of) [NAT]
Courtyard [NR] (1)
The manor of Shurland would seem to have represented the paramount lordship of the Isle of Sheppey; the earliest recorded holder was styled "Jordanus de Scapeia, Lord of Sheppey". All trace of the 13 c. house of Sir Robert de Shurland disappeared long ago to make room for a house of the same name, the residence of the Cheyney family. Before the visit of Henry VIII in 1532, Shurland House was expanded using materials from the despoiled Chilham Castle (TR 05 SE 3). Wings were added to the central, tower-flanked, gateway and a banqueting hall and dormitories to the main court. Also new courts were built until Shurland comprised nine, enclosed, quadrangles covering several acres, with a chapel in the far S.E. corner. Within 40 years the mansion became neglected and dilapidated. During the reign of Elizabeth I it was used, for a time, as a barracks and remained with the Crown until 1605 when James I conferred the "Capital Mansion of Shurland" upon Philip Herberte.(2)
The present house of Shurland is built on the site of the old castle, of which the gatehouse remains. (3)
Mention only. Photos show remains of moat, and shell of the Great Hall.(4)
Shurland, an early 16th c. manor-house, now much reduced and derelict, is incorporated in the outbuildings of Shurland Farm. A 'birds-eye view', temp. Eliz.I (GP/AO/58/380/3) shows it to have been a typical quadrangular Tudor mansion. The illustration is remarkably accurate and the following portions may be easily identified;
(i) The W. front with gatehouse and turrets, is to a large extent,
original.
(ii) The N. front, probably domestic offices, would appear
to have been rebuilt in the 19th c. It is now gutted and derelict
but some original fabric, remains in the lower courses of the
building.
(iii) The W. wall and porch of the Great Hall survive to an average height of 2 m.
(iv) The Chapel, a small building, has disappeared but its
rectangular outline 8 m. by 4 m. is visible in the turf.
(v) The massive, heavily buttressed, garden wall surrounds the house to the S. and E. and reaches a maximum height of 4 m.
(vi) Remains of the large barn are traceable in a modern barn N.W. of the house. This is all that survives of the original stables & outbuildings, shown on the print, but everywhere vague foundations protrude through the turf.
No evidence of the moat (auth.4) were seen. For position
and extent of all these features, see amended A.M.(5)
Checked and correct.(6)
The Ruins of Shurland Hall or Castle. Built by Sir Thomas Cheney during the reign of Henry VIII partly of materials said to have been brought from Chilham Castle on the mainland of Kent, and then consisting of several courtyards. The portion that remains faces west. 2 storeys. Red brick with a diaper pattern of grey headers on a stone base. 6 windows, hung sashes with the remains of glazing bars but all the glass missing. The 2 centre window bays are flanked by octagonal turrets of 3 storeys each, which have stone quoins and castellated parapets. Within these at the north end is a tall and wide 4-centred stone doorway with dripstone, carved spandrels and an iron-studded door. 1 small ground floor window to the south of the main doorway is a former doorway. On each side of the turrets are 2 windows on the 1st floor and 1 window on the ground floor. Brick buttress at the south end. Projection at the north end with stone quoins, but now half collapsed. Part of the wing behind it, which is of stone, still remains. The east front has 4 casement windows of 2 lights, each with 4-centred heads, stone mullions and dripstones. Wide 4-centred stone doorway. To the east is a courtyard enclosed with the remains of a building to ground floor height, of red brick on the north side and of stone on the east side. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn were entertained here on 7 October 1532, so the house was probably complete before that date.
The garden walls of Shurland Hall or Castle. These are contemporary with the house (qv). They form a complete rectangle to the south of the house, the west side having a series of buttresses. There are also some remains to the north and north-east. (7)
TQ 995716: Shurland House, scheduled. (8,9)
(Shurland : additional reference) (10)
Not listed in the county checklist for moated sites in Kent -December 1979. (11)
Shurland House: The remains of a brick-built Tudor House, west range still standing two storeys high, north range inner wall up to first floor height. East and south ranges largely vanished except for the east porch. West range - blue bricks set in diaper pattern. Entrancearch flanked by turrets, interior of range derelict. Uneven surface near house seems to indicate buried remains. Construction is in red brick thoughout, with stone dressings to parapet, battlements of turrets, window and gun embrasures and doorways. Fenestration of west front altered in the 18th century. The house has been damaged by fire at some date. All roofs and floors have fallen in. The west front is fairly intact to parapet level, and the turrets on either side of the entrance are intact, as are the tall chimneys at either end. The back wall of the west range is also intact, although very
heavily covered in ivy. The east wall of the north range survives to chimney stack height, but the wall top is damaged and deterioration will continue as long as it remains untreated. The rest of the north range is ruinous. The east range is fragmentary, but includes the remains of what appears to be an entrance porch. The interior is very overgrown, and fairly large sycamore trees are causing damage to the rear of the front range. (12)
TQ 99397153. Shurland House. Early 16th century Great House and associated remains. Scheduling amended. (13) |