
Scotney Castle
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Sculptured Head of Knight in Canterbury Cathedral
Pedigree of Darell of Scotney
( 38 )
SCOTNEY CASTLE.
BY EDWARD HUSSEY, OF SCO'l'NEY.
THE ancient Castle of Scotney was one of those small fortified
dwellings, which were not uncommon in the maritime counties of
Kent and Sussex. They seem to have been erected to resist the
sudden attack of lawless and turbulent neighbours, or marauders
from the coast, rather than £or defence against a siege by more
organized enemies. At Scotney, as at Bodiam Castle about twelve
miles distant, the moat is only separated by an embankment, a £ew
yards wide, from a river on so much lower a level, that a few men
with spades could, in a short space of time, drain all the water from
the moat. They would be protected, during the operation, by the
high banks of the stream, from any missiles which the defenders
0£ the castle might send forth.
It is situated on the borders of the parish of Lamberhurst,
the church 0£ which is in Kent, but much 0£ its land is in Sussex,
and it adjoins Goudhurst, in Kent. Tradition states that the site
of the castle is partly in Kent and partly in Sussex ; the little
river Bewl or Beaul (which now divides the counties) having
formerly :flowed through the site, now occupied by the castle and
its surrounding moat. This seems probable £),'om the appearance
of the ground ; £or the stream now runs parallel to the moat,
£or about 200 yards, and this is almost the only straight portion 0£
its very tortuous course. During some alterations made in 1863,
a row 0£ piles was discovered on each side 0£ the western embank•
ment 0£ the moat, where, from the lie 0£ the ground, it looked
likely that the river once :flowed through, thus rendering necessary
such a protection of the bank. Some years ago, when a servant
was drowned in the moat, there was grave doubt whether the
Sussex or the Kentish coroner should hold the inquest; and early
in this century a ·member of the family, having to prove which
county he was born in, found much difficulty in doing so.
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