Chilham Castle Keep and Donkey Wheel

Chilham Castle Keep and Donkey Wheel is a historic castle keep and curtain walls, built in the 11th century and between 1171 and 1174 by Ralph, a master mason, for Henry II. The structure was restored in the early 20th century.

The keep is made of flint with Caen stone dressings and features an octagonal shape, making it one of only two octagonal keeps in the country. It has a square stair turret on the east side, which includes exterior garderobes, and consists of three storeys. There are remnants of a forebuilding on the southwest wall from the 11th century, which served as an unfortified stone hall. Only one original opening remains, a window facing southeast. The flint and buttressed curtain wall, about 15 feet high, is attached to the east side of the keep. Following its restoration in the early 20th century, the keep was used as domestic accommodation and was once rented by artists Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon.

The Donkey Wheel, dating from the 18th century, is a timber-framed shelter with a plain tile roof, housing a horizontal wheel that is currently in poor condition.