Ruins Of St Radegund'S Abbey (The Uninhabited Portions)

TR 24 SE HOUGHAM ABBEY ROAD (south side) 4/67 Ruins of St. 22.8.62 Radegund's Abbey (the uninhabited portions) GV II* Monastic ruins. C13. Rubble and ashlar, flint. At present forming the entrance gate-house and forecourt to St. Radegund's Farmhouse, the remains represent the cloister of the Premonstratensian Abbey of St. Radegund. Tower of 3 storeys, the topmost ruinous, of coursed flint, decorated with triangular ashlar blocks. Two large offset buttresses with central C16 red brick semi-circular arch, and 4 chamfered lights on first floor. Interior: tripartite plan, the side chambers with chamfered and moulded arches and springer for vaulting. Originally the tower of the church, set in re-entrant angle of nave and north transept. The earlier ashlar west wall of the north transept on left return of tower with responds of chapel and north chancel aisle arcade. Connecting wall from tower south to Farmhouse, with 4 openings, 2 blocked, with moulded and chamfered arches, originally shafted, with round capitals and water holding bases. These were the doorways to the chapter house, portions of which, and the adjoining south chapels of the church survive to the east of the connecting wall (cloister east wall). To south and east of the tower further portions of masonry survive, in part to full height, cut through especially c.1590, representing remains of nave of church with moulded doorway to tower and with the remains of cellarer's building and guesthouse, forming west range of cloister, with the north gable end of this range surviving full height, with lancets, and range of deep rere-arches to ground floor lancets along long wall. The standing buildings are surrounded by extensive earthworks, a scheduled Ancient Monument, with isolated blocks of masonry, the most extensive of which is a length of walling, about 30 metres north-east of the tower/gatehouse, about 6 feet high, running about 10 metres north- east, and returned about 30 metres south-east. (See B.O.E. Kent II 1983, 439-440; see also W. St. John Hope, Arch. Cant., 14, 1882). For history of Abbey see main entry on St. Radegund's Abbey Farmhouse.

Listing NGR: TR2764342124