SUTTON VALENCE CASTLE

Kent

Sutton Valence Castle, Kent

This tiny square keep, standing high above the Weald of Kent, was built by William le Gros or Baldwin de Bethune, his successor as Count of Aumale in the middle of the 12th Century.

It's history aside from this is very uncertain. A curtain wall once surrounded the keep and a few fragments remain in neighbouring gardens.

The Castle passed into the hands of the de Valence family, Earls of Pembroke, who gave Castle and village their name, but the Castle seems to have been in ruins by the 15th Century, so they can't have lived in it long.

The Castle is owned by English Heritage and is freely accessible at all times.

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© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Web Design and Layout - Andrew J. Müller
2001

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