Thurnham, Kent, England

Culpeper Connection
A Thomas Culpeper was associated with Thurnham, but it is not clear which Thomas or how he was a connected other than a reference to him and Thurnham in 1538 (29 Henry VIII). The reference was found in some old hand-written research notes made by the English Culpeper historian, Len Pierce.

1831 Topographical Dictionary
Thornham (old spelling), a parish in the hundred of Eyhorne, lathe of Aylesford, county of Kent, 4 miles ENE from Maidstone, containing 523 inhabitants. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is principally in the decorated style of English architecture. The ruins of Thurnham, or Godard's, castle, still exist on the brow of a hill, forming part of the great range of chalk hills; the walls, which are more than thirteen feet high, and three feet thick, enclose an area of a quarter of an acre, including the keep mount. Urns and other vestiges of a Roman station have been found here. A vein of white sand, known by the name of Maidstone sand, though discovered in this parish, is said to have caused the first improvement in the manufacture of glass in this country: it was first worked by experienced Italians, and soon became of infinite importance in the trade: the pits are remarkable for their vast subterranean caverns, which are curiously arched.

National Grid Coordinates: TQ 810 584

Thurnham Castle.
Photograph by Keith Pearce, © 2004

Only the ruins persist today. the photo at the right was provided to Culpepper Connections by Keith Pearce, who was kind enough to also send several others. He says, "...they show something of its construction containing a lot of flint which is very common around here. There is a large earth mound adjacent to the castle, rather like a very small hill which stands higher than the remains of the castle and from where you can see Leeds Castle in the distance some four miles away."

Additional off-site photos of ruins.

Thurnham Keep (Sep 2006), a luxury B&B believed to have been built, in part, from the ruins of Thurnham Castle.

National Grid Coordinates:TQ 807 582

St. Mary's Church, Thurnham
Photograph by Keith Pearce, © 2001

National Grid Coordinates:
TQ 804 577