Situated on the edge of the escarpment, this Grade I listed castle enjoys stunning views across the Romney Marsh towards the English Channel


Description

The Castle
Great Hall Bar, Great Hall, Ante Room, Cloakroom, Harry’s Room, Dressing Room, Ceremony Room, Reception, Cloakroom, Temporary Bar, Store Room 1, Laundry, Kitchens 1 - 3, 2 Further Cloakrooms, Store Room 2, Accessed from Outside is a Further Storage Areas and Gardener’s WC, Boiler Room (Cellar) is accessed via Kitchen 2

Located over the First and Second Floors: East Tower Rooms 1 – 4, Store Rooms 1 – 2, West Tower Rooms 1 – 2, Staff Room, Store Room 3, Bedroom 1 with Dressing Room and Balcony, Bedroom 2, Bathroom, Store Rooms 4 – 6, Flower Room, Offices 4-5, Staff Kitchen, Store Rooms 7-8, 3 Further Bathrooms

Staff Flat 1: Kitchen, Sitting Room, Bathroom, 2 Bedrooms with Attic and Eaves Access

To the Third and Four Floors are East Tower 5 with Access to East Tower Roof and West Tower 3 with Water Tank Room and stairs to West Tower Roof

The Cottages & The Bistro
Gatehouse Cottage: Sitting Room, Kitchen, WC, 2 Bedrooms, Shower Room
Pineapple Cottage: Sitting Room, Kitchen, WC, 2 Bedrooms, Bathroom
Pinkie Hill Cottage: Sitting Room, Kitchen, Utility Room, Bedroom 1 with En Suite Shower Room, 2 Further Bedrooms, Family Bathroom
Lambourne Cottage: Sitting Room, Kitchen, 3 Bedrooms, Bathroom
The Bistro: Restaurants 1 & 2, WC, Kitchens 1 & 2, Storage, Garage, Larder & WC

Gardens, Grounds and Outbuildings
Gardens, Walled Garden with Swimming Pool, Kitchen Garden (partially walled), Further Partially Walled Gardens
Approximately 130 Acres of Woodland and Pasture/Grazing with a number of Enclosures
Summer House with lean-to Store, Greenhouses, Potting Sheds, Stables, Barn, Stores, Double Garage, Tack Room, Further Barn
The Remains of the Roman Fort of Stutfall Castle (a Scheduled Ancient Monument)

Description

This impressive and historically important property has evolved over the centuries to incorporate the splendour of its medieval heritage and the elegance of the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th Century. From the King Post roof of the Great Hall and ornate Gothic traceried windows and plastered ceiling to the vernacular exterior mellow stone constructions of Lorimer, the interior still retains its historic origins. Lympne Castle stands at the top of the escarpment allowing for wonderful views over the estate lands, Romney Marsh, the English Channel and, on a clear day, the French Coast.

The gardens lie mainly to the north and west of the castle and include various walled and partly walled gardens, one of which houses the swimming pool with lawned surround and paved terrace. A Kitchen garden, opposite the cottages, is partially walled and enclosed by yew hedging, fig, espalier and cooking apples, peaches, raspberries and mulberry trees line the walls. The gardens benefit from plenty of storage, glass houses, potting sheds, garaging, barns, stables, tack room and summer house.

The grounds extend to the south of the castle towards the Royal Military Canal, comprising woodland and pastureland, benefiting from a number of enclosures. The remains of Stutfall Castle are on the south western boundary of the land.

Location

Lympne Castle stands in an elevated rural position at the end of a private road on the edge of the escarpment, overlooking Rye Marshes, The Royal Military Canal and ultimately the sea. The village of Lympne offers local amenities, including a village school and pub with Hythe 2 miles further to the east with its quaint high street offering a number of independent shops, three supermarkets including Waitrose.

• Comprehensive shopping: More extensive shopping and amenities can be found in Folkestone, Ashford, Dover and Canterbury.
• Education: Education opportunities can be found locally at both primary and secondary levels, in the private and state sectors.
• Leisure facilities: There are excellent golf courses nearby including Royal St George at Sandwich and Rye Golf Club. Rye also is a popular tourist destination, both for its historic cobbled streets and its nearby beaches at Camber, as is The City of Canterbury. At Hythe can be found the sailing club, and tennis and bowling clubs.
• Mainline rail services: 11 miles to the north west is Ashford with its high speed rail service to London St Pancras in 37 minutes from Ashford International Station. Westenhanger Station can be found roughly 2 miles distant, offering services to London Charing Cross in around 94 minutes.
• Motorway links: Less than 3 miles away is junction 11 of the M20 motorway and only 5 miles away is junction 11a of the M20 being the access to the Channel Tunnel with services to Europe.

Square Footage: 18,862 sq ft


Acreage: 137 Acres

Directions

CT21 4LQ. From J11 of the M20 travel south on the A20 to Newingreen. At the junction take the second left in to Stone Street. At the T-Junction in Lympne turn right on to Aldington Road B2067; after 100 yards turn left on to The Street and follow it round leading to the main gate of the church yard, at this point turn right to the castle drive.

Additional Info

According to the Register of Listed Buildings, Lympne Castle is Grade I listed being first listed on the 29th December 1966, entry number 1101773 and is described as a fortified house, probably dating from the 13th century with mid-14th and 15th century additions. There were restorations and additions in 1907 and 1911 to 1912 by Lorimer. The main construction is of ragstone with ashlar dressings and plain tile roofs. The square east tower again probably dates from the 13th century with 14th century stair turret.

To the south western boundary of the estate lie the remains of Stutfall Castle, built by the Romans as one of nine forts located along the coast in around 270CE. Following landslides making the structure of the stronghold unsafe, the Romans abandoned the site in around 370CE in favour, it is believed, of a location further up the escarpment, within the grounds of Lympne Castle. Stones from the original fort can be found within Lympne Castle and the neighbouring St Stephens Church.

A Saxon abbey once stood on the site of Lympne Castle, converted by Lanfranc (d. 1089), the first Norman Archbishop of Canterbury, into the Archdeacon’s residence. This was later added to and transformed into a house and has been providing hospitality to visiting nobles since the 13th century, remaining in the ownership of the archdeaconry until 1860. The castle was then used as a farm house, until it fell into disrepair at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Between 1906 and 1908 the Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer was commissioned to restore and extend the property, adding the West Wing and preserving many features within both the original and new areas of the castle. During WWI the castle was used as accommodation for forces based at Lympne and later as a convalescent home for Canadian soldiers. In 1918 the castle was bought by Henry Beecham, the brother of the conductor Thomas Beecham. Under his ownership the look out was added to the East Tower; this played an important role during WWII, as it was possible to see the launch of V1 rockets in Calais on a clear day, allowing the coastline guns to be readied to shoot down the rockets over Hythe Bay.

With the benefit of 21st century improvements, Lympne Castle now houses a thriving wedding venue, function room and corporate entertaining area. In 2009 the four cottages dating from 1911, previously used for staff accommodation, were renovated and have since been used as holiday lets and the carriage store and garages have been transformed into The Bistro.