Easter Excavation at Teynham

A large area of the archbishops of Canterbury’s manor house at Teynham, some 200 metres to the north of the church, (see map) was excavated over the Easter holiday by numerous Kent Archaeological Field School students. Kentish ragstone walls and foundations were revealed suggesting that there was a substantial stone structure floored with 13th century decorated tiles. The walls were plastered with lime mortar, which was decorated with red and ochre pigment and windows were carved in Caen stone and glazed with stained glass. The roof was covered in clay peg tiles in two colours, yellow and red, some of which were glazed.

The Field School located the building three years ago with field walking and geophysical survey. Documentary evidence from 1376 indicates that the building complex included two grange barns, one for barley, the other for corn. A cloister, great hall, squire’s chamber, wine tenderer’s house, watermill, vineyard and saffron garden are all included in the itemised accounts. The earliest records are from 1185, when Archbishop Baldwin was in residence. In 1205 Archbishop Hubert Walter, who was renowned for his almost royal establishment, visited the manor house. He died there on 13th July in the presence of the Bishop of Rochester and both entourages. In 1279 Archbishop John Peckham wrote to Queen Eleanor, wife of Edward I, that he had ‘built a very beautiful Chapel at Teynham which you will be pleased with when you pass this way’.

Dr. Paul Wilkinson