Eynsford Castle

Eynsford Castle
Kent, England
Entrance to Eynsford Castle
Eynsford Castle
Coordinates	51°22′14″N 0°12′48″E / 51.370556°N 0.213333°E / 51.370556; 0.213333
Site information
Owner	English Heritage
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Ruined
Site history
Materials	Flint stone

Eynsford Castle is a ruined medieval fortification in Eynsford, Kent. Built on the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon stone burh, the castle was constructed by William de Enysford, probably between 1085 and 1087, to protect the lands of Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, from Odo, the Bishop of Bayeux. It comprised an inner and an outer bailey, the former protected by a stone curtain wall. In 1130 the defences were improved, and a large stone hall built in the inner bailey. The de Enysford family held the castle until their male line died out in 1261, when it was divided equally between the Heringaud and de Criol families. A royal judge, William Inge, purchased half of the castle in 1307, and arguments ensued between him and his co-owner, Nicholas de Criol, who ransacked Eynsford in 1312. The castle was never reoccupied and fell into ruins, and in the 18th century it was used to hold hunting kennels and stables. The ruins began to be restored after 1897, work intensifying after 1948 when the Ministry of Works took over the running of the castle. In the 21st century, Eynsford Castle is managed by English Heritage and is open to visitors.

Eynsford Castle was built on the site of a former Anglo-Saxon manor. The manor of Eynsford lay on a strategic point along the River Darenth, overlooking a crossing point, and in 970 it was acquired by Christ Church, Canterbury.

In the early 11th century, a stone building was then built in the manor on top of an artificial terrace, and it is possible that there may have been earlier stone buildings constructed on the same site. The building was surrounded by a ditch and possibly a rampart, each approximately 5 metres (16 ft) wide and up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep and high respectively. It is uncertain how far the outer defences reached; they may have traced the shape of the later castle, including a late-Anglo-Saxon cemetery located to the south-east. The complex formed a secure aristocratic residence called a burh and the use of stone, rather than timber, in a secular building such as this was very unusual for the period. Like some other burhs, it may have had an entrance tower called a burh-geat, symbolising the status of the owner.