Chilham Castle, Kent, England, south-west of Canterbury on the North Downs.
Commentary.
Perched high on a wooded, North Downs hill, above Canterbury, is Chilham’s Castle and estate, pub and school,
Square and Church, tearooms and Tudor houses.
This may well have been one of the last resting places
on the hundred mile pilgrimage from Winchester
to the tomb of Thomas à Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
This journey was undertaken for well over a thousand years
by countless thousands of pilgrims.
It was immortalised by Geoffrey Chaucer in his
bawdy and graphic “Canterbury Tales,” although his was the shorter sixty mile journey, from the Tabard Inn, Southwark, to the Holy Shrine.
Now this hidden gem of a village attracts hordes of modern “pilgrims,” seeking solace in the tearooms, church, pub or Square.
Some may be entertained by bouts of falconry or medieval jousting in the Castle grounds.
Others might retreat here before and/or after sampling the delights of Canterbury’s Cathedral, museums and shops.
Its “staging-post” identity seems unshakeable.
Its charm is undeniable.
Chilham Castle was once owned by no other than Henry V111.
It comes in two parts, the Jacobean Manor House, in shot, built in 1616.
Behind it, to the south, is the original Norman Keep on a customary Motte or mound.
The site also includes extensive gardens and lawns.
Due to its superb architecture the Manor House
has been used in numerous films and T.V. productions.
In the past, the castle has hosted Medieval Fayres and jousting contests, as well as Falconry demonstrations.
It is now privately owned having been bought for £15 million in 2021.
Chilham Castle, Kent, England, south-west of Canterbury on the North Downs.
Commentary.
Perched high on a wooded, North Downs hill, above Canterbury, is Chilham’s Castle and estate, pub and school,
Square and Church, tearooms and Tudor houses.
This may well have been one of the last resting places
on the hundred mile pilgrimage from Winchester
to the tomb of Thomas à Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
This journey was undertaken for well over a thousand years
by countless thousands of pilgrims.
It was immortalised by Geoffrey Chaucer in his
bawdy and graphic “Canterbury Tales,” although his was the shorter sixty mile journey, from the Tabard Inn, Southwark, to the Holy Shrine.
Now this hidden gem of a village attracts hordes of modern “pilgrims,” seeking solace in the tearooms, church, pub or Square.
Some may be entertained by bouts of falconry or medieval jousting in the Castle grounds.
Others might retreat here before and/or after sampling the delights of Canterbury’s Cathedral, museums and shops.
Its “staging-post” identity seems unshakeable.
Its charm is undeniable.
Chilham Castle was once owned by no other than Henry V111.
It comes in two parts, the Jacobean Manor House, in shot, built in 1616.
Behind it, to the south, is the original Norman Keep on a customary Motte or mound.
The site also includes extensive gardens and lawns.
Due to its superb architecture the Manor House
has been used in numerous films and T.V. productions.
In the past, the castle has hosted Medieval Fayres and jousting contests, as well as Falconry demonstrations.
It is now privately owned having been bought for £15 million in 2021.