SALTWOOD

THE DOVER EXPRESS AND EAST KENT NEWS -FRIDAY, 8 AUGUST, 1902.
OUR VILLAGES

LXIV.—SALTW00I)

Saltwood is a romantically situated village in an undulating wooded country westward of Shomcliffe Camp, overlooking; the sea a mile northward from Hythe. The parish has an area of 2,387 acres, a population of 576, and 135 houses.

PRE-HISTORIC SALTWOOD.

In tracing the history of Saltwood there are several trails to follow—the Castle, the Manors, the Church, and the village; or we might pass by all these as of yesterday and try to trace out the history of the land—the sharply rising hills and deeply dipping dells. If the book of nature would yield up its secrets we should probably find that this land which skirts the seashore lias in ages past been the scene of some extraordinary subterreaneous disturbances which have left its surface so rugged, inviting nature to clothe it with the verdure that now renders it so romantic. In speaking of subterraneous disturbances, we are not alluding to the landslip a little further west which occurred a few years ago, or to the earthquake which threw down a part of the Castle in the year 1580; but to disturbances in the earth’s crust which must have occurred here perhaps thousands of years ago. Of the happenings then, we can only see such results as are left after the healing hand of time has been at work upon them for many centuries. What the ancient Britons found here were steep uplands, intersected by deep gorges, over igainst the seashore, so thickly wooded as to be almost impenetrable. The low flat coast, affording opportunity for hostile foreigners to land, suggested the idea of having a strong place on these rugged heights. The spot selected was that where now stands Saltwood Castle. The Britons probably contented themselves with an earthwork ; later it was walled about and made into a fort ; and in Saxon times it developed into a Castle. SALTWOOD’S EARLY HISTORY.

It is not possible, however, to touch the -certain and solid ground of history until we come to the records kept by the Church and the Monasteries. The records were not kept from wholly disinterested motives, but however that may be, they were the repository of recorded facts—to them we are indebted for the knowledge that in the dtys of King Canute, in the year 1036, Saltwood Castle was given to the Church at Canterbury in the presence of King Canute, by a prince named Haldene. It was in the possession of Christ Church at Canterbury at the period of the Conquest, and at the time of the compiling of the Domesday Book in 1080 the Castle of Saltwood was one of the possessions of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and it was held at that time by Hugo de Mont-fort for Knight’s service. The walls of this Castle, it is said, were originally built by Eseus, King of Kent, who succeeded his father Hengist in the year 488, so that- the date of the building of this Castle is placed a century earlier than the coming of Augustine. The manor of Saltwood, named from its situation, Brockhnll, was in existence when Saltwood was given to the Church in the year 1038. and the Church >f Saltwood also had existence then or soon after, for it is mentioned in Domesday Book.

SALTWOOD FROM NORMAN DAYS.

It is not probable that the Castle was anything like a first-rate fortress in Hugo de Montfort’s time. It is recorded that he repaired it, but Robert de Montfort, grandson of Hugo, incurring the displeasure of Henry I., went into exile, and his estates devolved to the Crown. For the time being that terminated the hold of the Church on this domain. The Castle and tie Saltwood lands were given to Henry de Essex, Constable of England, who rebuilt the Castle. Seeing that the rebuilding took place less than fifty years after the repairs by Hugo de Montfort, it may be inferred that the Castle of that period was not a very substantial structure. When Henry de Essex had leisure he resided at Saltwood Castle, but he was a soldier often engaged in petty wars, and during a skirmish in Wales he was credited with cowardice, for which the fortress he held was confiscated to the Crown. That was an illegal act, for the Castle belonged to the See of Canterbury, and should have reverted to the Archbishop. But Theobald, who was the Prelate at that time, had very little regard for the temporalities nf the See, and the chronic civil war during his time, and the contests between the State and the Church, afforded little opportunity to assert such rights, but when A’Becket became Archbishop he accused Henry II. with having violated the privileges of the See by taking possession of the Church property. In spite of this protest, the Castle continued vested in the Crown, until the first year of the reign of King John, when it was restored to the See of Canterbury. From that time it. became one of the Palaces of the Archbishop, and Archbishop Courtenay, who came to the See in 1370. entirely rebuilt it. This Archbishop found that the maintenance of a large number of manor houses was very expensive, and he obtained the licence of the King and of the Monastery ¦to pull down all his less necessary residences and to build and embattle the Castle of Saltwood so as to render it both a palace and a fortress. Courtenay’s work at- Saltwood seems to have been a complete reconstruction. There are mounds and earthworks which belong to the earlier period, but the Castle as it stood until its restoration in recent vears was entirely the work of CouTtenay, for the whole appears to have been of one structure and one grand symmetrical design. The destruction of manorial residences to provide the means for keeping up the Castle at Saltwood, in-eluded the destruction of Brockhull the Saltwood ancient manor house, which stood on the knoll on the roadside a short distance south-westward of the Church. There are still some remains of the ancient stone walls in the field, and though scanty, are sufficient to give the antiouity and great extent of the mansion. The prelate who thus levelled the more modest residences which should have been sufficient for the comfort and convenience of a successor of the Apostles, was. if history does not belie him, a proud and overbearing man. Here i« a storv which the historian Lambarde tells of him: “Heare (I pray you) a woord nr twain of the honourable (or rather the Pontifical!-) dealing of William Courteney the Archhishon and amplifier of this Castle: who. taking offence that certaine poore men (\v< Tenants of the Manor of Bingham) had brought him rent hav and littar to Canterbury. not openly in cartes for his glone as thev were accustomed. but closelv m sackes nnon their horses as their ahili+ie would suffer, cited them to this his castle of Salt-wood. and there, after that hr bad shewed himself as hot* as a toste with the matter, he first V>ound them bv othe to ohey his owne ordinaunce. and then irnnvnedI them for penance, that thev should each one rmreb leisurelv after the procession, bareheaded, and barefooted, with a sacke of hey
(or strawe) on his shoulder, open at the mouth, so as the stuffe might appeere hanging out of the bag to all the beholders.”

A SALTWOOD PRISONER.

This Castle of Saltwood after its re-build-ing in the Fourteenth Century, was not only a Palace and fortress, but it was also a prison in the time of the next Prelate, Archbishop Arundel. It is recorded* in history that a Priest named William Thorpe was imprisoned at Saltwood Castle for holding the opinions of the Lollards, and he was examined on that charge by Archbishop Arundel in Saltwood Castle on the 3rd July, 1407, and in the State Trials there is given a long account of the proceedings. The strongest piece of evidence produced against I Thorpe was that in preaching at St. Chad’s,

' Shrewsbury, he had spoken against images, pilgrimages, and tithes. Although Thorpe entered into a greai deal of straw splitting argument, he would not disavow his opinions. Some of the Archbishop s Court advised that he should be burnt according to the law then existing against the Lollards; others suggested that he should be cast into the sea that was close by; but in the end he was returned to his cell, and nothing more was heard of him. Saltwood Castle continued to be the residence of Archbishops until the Reformation, but in the early part of the reign of Henry VIII. it was let by Archbishop Warham to Sir Edward Nevil. The stateliness of this place was the ultimate cause of its being lost to the Church. It was not a Convent or a religious house of the class that was suppressed by Henry VIII., but Archbishop Cranmer, dreading the envy aroused by his large possessions, conveyed this castle-ated mansion, amongst other property, in in his history of the Diocese of Canterbury, exchange, to the King. Canon Jenkins, writes: “ Never was a more flagrant robbery concealed with a more transparent misrepresentation. The agents of the King produced a comparative valuation of the properties exchanged without giving the Archbishop the benefit of a valuer on the part of the Church, and thus these great estates passed away for ever from the possession of the See of Canterbury.” The same year that j Cranmer surrendered the Castle and Manor to the Crown, the King granted it to: Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, but the: Earl of Essex had no time to enjoy his! baronial Castle at Saltwood, for before he had finished the King’s business for which he received that large reward, he was accused of treason and heresy, for which he was beheaded on Tower Hill on the 28th July, 1540. The Castle then reverted to the Crown, and was held by Henrv VIII. during the remainder of his life. Edward VI. granted it to John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, but the Castle was afterwards reconveyed to the King in exchange for other property. The Castle was then given to Edward Fynes, better known as Lord Clinton. He for a time held the Castle, Manor, and Park for Knight’s service, but he also re-conveyed the property to the Crown. In the reign of Queen Mary Lord Clinton again in possession, and he sold the property to Thomas Broadnax, of Hythe. From him it went to Edward Monins, of Waldershare, who in the reign of Elizabeth conveyed it to Mr Reginald Knatchbull. After the Knatchhulls, came into possession the Cranmer and the Herrys families, who were related by marriage. The last of the Herrys line sold the property, in the reign of Charles I., to Sir William Boteler, who resided at Saltwood Castle, and his descendants continued to hold it until 1712, when Sir Philip Boteler sold it to Brook Bridges, of Goodnestone. The Castle came finally into the possession of the Deedes family, the late owner. Mr. William Deedes. and his brother. Colonel Deedes, lies buried in 1 the Churchyard. This Castle was visited ¦ by Edward II., and by Queen Elizabeth. • Its revenues formed part of the dowry of Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I., and at various times it has been the ¦ residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinoue ! Ports. After the rebuilding by Archbishop CouTtenay, there was no great expenditure 1 on it for centuries, and the earthouakes which occurred in 1580, 1692, and 1755 did much damage to the buildings, which con- I tinued in a ruinous state until 1882. when it was comnletelv restored under the supervision of Mr. Frederick Beeston. architect, i The erand old double gate house was in-1 eluded in the restoration, and in the rear of it was erected a new residential block, -the whole forming a rare instance of a Castle six centuries old being adopted as a modem residence.

BROCKIIULL RUINS.

As a residence, the ancient Manor House of Brockhull, Saltwood, was more ancient than the Castle. There is nothing now left of it except in one part a wall breast high, and the outlines of the foundations in other places just above the greensward, sufficient to show the antiquity and great extent of this Manor which was once the residence of an ancient family who took their name from the place. Sir Warren de Brockhall resided here in the year 1280, and his grandson, Sir Thomas, succeeded him, and left a son John, who was Sheriff of Kent, and kept his Sherivalty at Brockhull about the year 1350. His son William resided at Brockhull all his life, and it was his wife who caused to be built the north aisle of the Church, where she and her son Thomas were buried. The latter Thomas de Brock- i hull died in 1437, and, leaving no male! issue, the estates were carried in marriage j by his daughter Elizabeth to Richard Sel-! lyng, and after two generations, a daughter, j Joan Sellyng, carried the estate in marriage j to John Tournay, and that family resided j there for many generations. It is not quite ! clear when the ancient stone mansion of! Brockhull was taken down. It ceased to be ! maintained as the manorial residence when Archbishop Courtenay rebuilt the Castle, but some portion of it remained standing, and the Toumays, who appear to have been a numerous family, resided there for several generations as the leaseholders of the See of Canterbury. One Thomas Tournay built the new Brockhull on the other side of the road in the year 1611, and another Thomas Tournay of the same family continued to reside on the old site until his death in 1637. The property then went to the Brockmans, and Mr. Drake Brockman, about the middle of the Eighteenth Century, pulled down the remains of the ancient mansion and removed the materials to build a bailiff’s house near Beechborough, which was constructed of stone in Gothic style. There is a tradition that this old building was, before it. was finally removed, used for barracks, and there is still on the ground a substantial and apparently very ancient stone mounting block, which no doubt was ad-ioining the stables in the court yard when the mansion was intact. There were two other small manors of Radbrooke and Ped-ling. and Courts-baron are still held for these manors.

SALTWOOD AS IT IS.

After a visit to Saltwood as it now is. clothed in its summer beauty, it is easy to appreciate the reason why the Archbishop Courte-
nay considered that here he had found i site worthy of a noble Castle to strengths and beautify, to which it was worth sacrificinj many manor houses. Whether Saltwood ii approached by the pleasant lane from Sand ling Junction Station, or by the steep roac P,?i “p from the old Cinque

Port of Hythe, m either case, the way it surrounded by natural charms. The undulating country and the grand old trees that in many cases exhibit the growth of a cells’ lhe pretty glens-which here and there afford peeps at the sea, all combine to make scenery that is unique and enchanting. The way from Sandling lies through the ancient Park that the lordly Archbishop Courtenay laid out, and when we approach the village the interesting ruins of old Brockhull cover the Held on the right; while New Brockhull, now called Brockhill Park, occupies the left, still the residence of a member of the Tommy family. A turn of the road reveals the village of Saltwood —one of the prettiest little places in Kent. The central part is the village green, where here ,s a well, and also a drinking fountain, erected m 1886 by Mrs. Peirson, to the memory of her son, , who lies buried in the churchyard. Above the green the cottages are dotted about very prettily in gardens; while on the lower side of the green is the village hall, almshouses, and nurses’ house^ provided by the liberality of the late Mr Robert Thompson, of this parish, who aLthe P“triarchal age of 94 in the vear 1896 The village hall occupies the angle of the two roads which lead respectively to the church and the castle. It is substantially built, and strongly buttressed with red bricks; and the almshouses are built in the rear, having frontages to both roads. In this direction are some of 1he belter houses of the viUage, and on the rising ground south-west of the church is the rec-tory, a fine old house in a charming situation, with a grand old cedar on the lawn and a sea view eastward. The church is.cn the other side of the way, and below it is the playing field of the village, through which there is a pathway from the churchyard to the Castle. Saltwood Castle, the residence of Mrs. Deedes, is now a place of great interest to visitors, who are admitted to the grounds on Wednesdays. The position of the castle at the head of a winding valley which opens out to the sea is very picturesque. The outer oval and the remains of a moat now dry, are probably not much changed since Courtenay’s time: but the inner structure, after many vicissitudes, has now been restored to a condition of strength and beauty which was not surpassed in its most palmy days. Saltwood Castle is well worth going to see; and there is m the parish also another interesting show place—the American gardens, which are prettily situated in a deep hollow. The grounds occupy about five acres, charming-lv laid out, and contain a valuable collection of American and East Indian plants and shrubs. The branch railway from Sandling Junction to Hvthe runs down a prettv valley in this parish, just under the walls of Saltwood Castle, but instead of following the level of the vallev. is carried on an embankment, and the station, a quarter of a mile below the Castle, is on an elevation above the town and sea front of the ancient Cinque Port.

THE CHURCH.

The Church at Saltwood is remarkable from the fact that it is built entirely of stone, and its style is Early English, with some traces of Norman architecture. It is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, and consists of a chancel, north organ chamber annexed to the chancel, nave, north aisle, south porch, and western embattled tower, in which there are five bells. The tower formerly had a squat appearance, but was much improved in 1892 by being slightly raised, and having four elegant pinacles added. The chancel is large and lofty, having, at the entrance, a fine pointed arch resting on engaged circular pillars. The east window, having four lights, contains four very fine cartoons, and is a memorial to Charlotte Croft, who died 1825. Under the window is a handsome reredos. The seating comprises several carved stalls. In the flopr of the chancel are some curious memorial brasses of ancient date with effigies to John Verieu, Rector of Sandhurst, 1370, and to Anne, wife of William Myston, obit. 1496, with a demi-figure of an angel holding a heart. There are also remains of a large brass about 6 feet long. There are also in the Chapcel modern brasses and memorial windows to members of the Deedes and Knollys families. The nave is lofty, and is lighted on the south by perpendicular windows, being, doubtless, later insertions, as there are on that side of the nave, especially in the south door, traces of pure Norman work. The north aisle is low, and is divided from the nave by two plain pointed arches resting on a massive square pier. This north aisle dates from the latter part of the 14th Century, having been built by Margaret, wife of William de Brockhull, as a burial place for future possessors of the Manor. There has evidently been an altar at the east end of this aisle, and there is still a piscena at the back of the pier on the south side of it. There is in this aisle a memorial window to the late Mr. Robert Thompson and his wife, and underneath it is an inscription on a brass: “To the glory of God, and in memory of Robert Thompson of this parish, who died June, 1896, in his 94th year. Erected by parishioners of Saltwood, who desire, in this Church in which he worshipped for many years, gratefully to record his generous benevolence to the parish by the erection and endowment of a village hall and almshouses, and a house and endowment for a parish nurse." Most of the windows in this Church are now filled with stained glass memorials of modern date. There is one to William Deedes, obit 1887; another to Herbert George Deedes, obit 1891. On the south of the chancel is a brass to the memory of Catharine Augusta Knollys, obit 1878, erected in memory of her loving care for the poor and tender sympathy with the suffering. The lights in the nave and aisle were presented to the Church by a few of her sorrowing friends. There is on the south wall of the chancel a richly canopied nich containing a piscena, and on each side of the east window on the wall the bracket of a nich. The font is ancient, having an octagonal bowl, on one side of which is a shield with an inscription in very early characters, “ Jehsu Marya.” The lich gate was erected in 1886. In the Churchyard there is a handsome granite tombstone to the memory of Mr. Robert Thompson, and there is a very beautiful tomb consisting of a white cross slanting from a stone on which the cross rests, and chastely ornamented with sculptured bordering. It is to the memory of William Deedes. Esq., of Sandling Park and Saltwood Castle. There is another to the memory of Colonel Herbert George Deedes. of the 60th Roval Rifles, obit 1891. aged 55. The whole of the Churehvard is very neat. There is a long record of the Rectors of this Church, into which we have not space to enter. The present Rector is the Rev. Prebendary Arthur Lindsay Palmes, M.A.. who accented this living in 1900, having been previouslv Vicar of St. Mary the Virgin. Dover. His predecessor at Saltwood was the Rev. H. M Spooner. M Mr. Palmes is a polished and powerful preacher, and drew very large congregations when he was Vicar of the principal parish in Dover.