Godmersham Court Lodge
New K.A.S. Research & Training Excavation
During August 1985 a new excavation will be taking place on the site of the exceptionally fine thirteenth century Court Lodge at Godmersham. This stone building was tragically demolished in 1955, but it is hoped the excavation will uncover most of the plan of this building as well as later medieval timber-framed extensions which were demolished in the eighteenth century.
The name Godmersham (Godmaeres ham in Old English) means Godmaer's settlement. A probably spurious "note" of A.D. 822 (Sawyer Anglo-Saxon Charters (1968) No. 1620) has King Beomwulf of Mercia granting land at Godmersham to Archbishop Wulfred. In A.O. 824, a genuine charter (Sawyer No. 1434) records the recovery by Archbishop Wulfred of the land here and at Easole granted him by Aldberht comes and Selethyth his sister (Abbess of Minster?) and stolen by Abbess Cwen- thryth of Minster-in-Thanet. (Bounds in English added). In c.1036-1038, Archbishop Aethelnoth granted the manor to the monks of Christ Church, Canterbury (N.P. Brooks, The Early History of the Church of Canterbury (1984), 298).
Aethelnoth had purchased the manor from Earl Sired for 72 marks of silver (Sawyer No. 1389). This was confirmed by Edward the Confessor (Sawyer No. 1047), but this may be a post-Conquest forgery. In 1086 the manor was of 8 sulungs. Domesday Book (I,f.5 and f.3b) says it was in Feleberg hundred and held by the Archbishop i.e. Terra Monachorum Archiepi. 8 sulungs, 12 carucates of arable; 2 villeins on the demesne and 60 other villeins with 8 collars who had 17 carucates. A church is mentioned (? the present base of north tower and apse) and 2 servants; one mill, value 25/- and 12 acres of meadow. Wood for 40 hogs. TRE worth £12, now (1086) £20, and yet it pays £30.
The Domesday Manor may have included the area of the later parish of Challock also, but the bounds given in English (of probably the eleventh century) on the back of the A.D. 824 charter (Lambeth Ms. 1212 - see above), are almost identical to those of the later parish of Godmersham only (see notes by J. McN. Dodgson on the bounds -unpublished).
Free warren for the manor was obtained in 10 Ed. II (c.1317) and it was then valued at £36. It went to Henry VIII in 1540, then the Dean and Chapter in 1546 (the Dean and Chapter were granted the manor, rectory and advowson (this was then valued at £80/11/-)).
In c.1250 a new stone court-lodge was built (demolished 1955). For description see M. Wood "Thirteenth Century Domestic Architecture in England"., (Arch. J. CV, Supple. (1950)). A chapel (documented in 1289 with garderobe and oriel) was perhaps added on the north-east side. A new solar was built with garderobe in 1313 (with chamber under) -perhaps at the south end. It cost £27/19/2d. There was also at this time a granary, sheepfold and stable.
In 1334 urgent repairs were needed; sergeants at Great Chart, Little Chart, Westwell, Agney, Ruckinge and Mersham were all ordered to bring timber, probably for new roofs.
In 1363, Hamon atte Halle (perhaps already the Court Lodge tenant) was granted a licence to give 2 messuages (at the Ford in Godmersham) and 124 acres of land, (wood and pasture at Challock), and Gilbert de Helles to give 26/8d from rents, and assign the same to a Chaplain in the Church of Godmersham in honour of St. Mary i.e. the Chantry Chapel on the south side of the church. A little later in 1363, the Prior and Convent gave licence for Gilbert de Helles to give the 26/8d to the Chaplain (Dom. John de Folkingham -possibly a monk from Christ Church) and the 2 messuages, etc., (above) at Challock to the same chaplain and his successors for ever, paying yearly to the Manor Court 3/4d (see ed. A. Hussey Kent Chantries (Kent Records XII (1934) 131-2). The Chantry house, garden and one acre appear to have been in Godmersham Street (i.e. Just up the road from Court Lodge), and it is possible that the present Old Vicarage occupies the plot.
In 1374 Hamon (Hammond) at Halle had the Manor let to him; he perhaps lived in the Court Lodge and was dead by c.1400. In about 1400, Prior Chillenden divided the Court Lodge areas in half and kept the Court Lodge, inner court, new barn, new stable, new kitchen for the Chamberlain with a new store for the Prior's use. He built a gate between the inner and outer courts (with chamber over it containing a fireplace, and a chamber beside the gate). The rest of the farm was beyond, and was let out. John Dare! was the tenant in 1406 and he used the farm buildings in the outer court. To the north was the Prior's mill (near the Ford -not bridged (by the present bridge) till 1698 (date on it)).
The great barn, later the rectorial tithe barn, - see S.E. Rigold Arch. Cant. 81, (1966) 18-19-is one hundred and twenty-one feet long with two midstreys and high ground walls. The north end, with a crown-post roof and thirteen foot bays and an odd thirteen and a half by seven and a half foot section, has a threshing floor (no main posts here). The south section is also part medieval, but reconstructed. It perhaps dates from the early fifteenth century and may relate to the division of the Court into two halves at this time.
The manor continued to be let throughout the fifteenth and early sixteenth century. In c.1480 Prior Selling carried out repairs to the Prior's house, and the inner court continued to be exempt from the farmer's use. The tenant also had to be ready to entertain, at his own expense, the monk-wardens or Prior's chaplain if they were passing through.
At the Dissolution of the Priory in 1540, the manor went to the King, Henry VIII, who in 1546 granted it to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury. The Chantry chapel of St. Mary was suppressed in 1548. In the late sixteenth century, the buildings are listed as:- the great hall with chambers, kitchen, etc., within the inner court, and the other barns, stables, dovehouse, gardens and orchards, courts and yards. The manor then continued to the nineteenth century as the property of the Dean and Chapter and was leased out. In the eighteenth century it was leased to the Colemans who resided there till 1830 (see Hasted VII, (1798), 321-3 and I, 85, (1790); III 157-8].
The late Dr S.G. Brade-Birks has pointed out that Richard Cole Coleman was born at the Court Lodge where his parents were in residence (they were Richard and Sarah Coleman) in 1777. He died in 1832. The Colemans had the demesne lands of the manor let to them (see area in the tithe map, 1839). The Dean and Chapter, however, retained the manor itself with the profits of the courts baron which were held regularly, according to Hasted.
In the late eighteenth century some of the buildings (Chillenden's timber-framed ones) were demolished. Cozens (1792) published an engraving of the hall and mentions this. Timber was given to Mr Thomas Knight in 1787 (Jane Austen's brother Edward's patron, who own·ed Godmersham Park). Edward Knight, after inheriting eventually bought the demesne manor from the Dean and Chapter in 1837. In 1875 John Cunliffe Kay purchased the house from the Knight family, but before this from 1830-75 the occupier of the Court Lodge was J.F. Harvey (see notes by S.G. B-B.). The house is also depicted in the Gents. Mag., 80 (March 1810), 209, Pl. II. For other pictures see Archaeol., 83 (1933), 173- it then belonged to Lord Lewisham. Also T. Hudson Turner "Some Accounts of Domestic Architecture in England" (Oxford) 1851, 150-181, and Igglesden, Saunter ..... xi, 10 and N. Lloyd English House (1931), 306 who has a photograph. It was also seen Just before demolition by R.H. Goodsall (see his The Kentish Stour (1953), 79 where he also mentions "original cellars below ground").
The western elevation of Court Lodge, Godmersham Priory, as published in 1810. Note the medieval chimney at the north end.
It is hoped to have an open day on Sunday 25th August when all members and friends will be welcome to come along and see the excavations.
Tim Tatton-Brown
