Chiddingstone Castle

Chiddingstone Castle is a 17th-century house that was altered and extended in the 18th century. It was Gothicised around 1800, with further Gothicising occurring after 1829 by Henry Kendal, whose designs were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1838. The main north front features three storeys and five windows, constructed from coursed freestone with corbelled battlements. There are square towers on the left and octagonal towers flanking the central bay. The windows have chamfered reveals under hoodmoulds, with some featuring modern bars and others having wooden tracery. The central ground floor windows are stone-mullioned with tracery, and there is a centre traceried double door set in a many-chamfered arch. The back view of the castle shows a clear distinction between the two periods of Gothicising, with the earlier part having pointed windows with wooden tracery bars and the later part featuring square-headed windows with stone tracery. Inside, several 17th-century features remain, including a staircase (though with 18th-century balusters added) and panelling. The castle also houses large archaeological and Oriental collections. It was formerly the home of the Streatfeild family.