SCOTNEY CASTLES
Kent
Scotney is only a tiny remnant of a Castle built by Roger de Ashburnham around 1378-80 on the site of an older Castle whose form is a complete mystery.
This new version of Scotney fitted in with the moated quadrangular Castles which would see their peak with nearby Bodiam, which was apparently inspired by Scotney (Sir John Dalyngrigge was a friend and colleague of Roger de Ashburnham). Scotney was apparently rhombus shaped, with a tower like the one existing on each corner.
The Castle passed to the Darrell family in the mid-1400s, and by 1558 in the will of Thomas Darrell it is clear that Scotney was already reduced to the single corner tower we are left with today. William Darrell started on a great plan to rebuild Scotney in 1630, but he died in 1639 before much progress had been made. His wife, Elizabeth, wished to bring up her children as catholics and installed guns to protect them from the rampagingly atheist Roundheads. One of the few times when it seems any kind of defence occurred at Scotney.
In the mid 18th Century it seems that the Darrells had become involved in smuggling and on one night the Revenue arrived and battle was joined. One of the Revenue men was killed and his body thrown into the mud...his ghost apparently rises from the moat on certain nights, still trying to get into the Castle!
In the 1720s the Castle had a new conical roof added and was sold to the Hussey family. A later Hussey built Scotney New Castle on top of the hill to a design by Anthony Salvin. At the same time the famed gardens were laid out and are still the pride of Scotney today.
The gardens and Old Castle are owned by the National Trust and opened during the summer, the New Castle is their South East administrative centre and is not open to the public, but is visible from the grounds.
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© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and
Roy Barton
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2001
