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Kentish Ragstone
Kentish ragstone is a hard grey limestone in Kent, England, drawn from the geological sequence known as the Hythe Beds of the Lower Greensand. For millennia it has been quarried for use both locally and further afield. Geology Ragstone occurs in a geological formation known in the Hythe Beds of the Lower Greensand, a layer of limestones running from Kent into Surrey which was laid down in the Cretaceous period. It outcrops in various places, notably at the cliffs of Hythe, Kent (whence it gets its name) and along the Greensand Ridge above the Weald of Kent. Ragstone occurs in bands between 15 cm and 60 cm thick, alternating with bands of a loose material called hassock. These bands are of similar thickness and the difference in colour between them gives quarry faces a striped appearance. When the stone is extracted from the quarry, it appears to be of a grey green or blue grey colour but later weathers to an autumnal hue which, together with its hard-wearing properties ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ragstone Wall Detail - Geograph
Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones that are quarried in thin pieces, such as Horsham Stone, sandstone, Yorkshire stone, and the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. Near London, "rag-stone" often means Kentish ragstone, a material from the neighbourhood of Maidstone. Rag-stone is peculiarly suited for medieval work. It is often laid as uncoursed work, or random work, sometimes as random coursed work and sometimes as regular ashlar. Ragstone, a dull grey stone, is still quarried on an industrial scale close to the Kent Downs AONB. It has traditionally been used within the AONB as a road stone, cobble or sett and a walling block. Although difficult to 'dress' with a regular face, it has been used as rectangular blocks for the construction of walls and buildings and was very popular for the construction of 19th-century churches. More frequently, owing to the difficult and variable nature of the stone, it is seen a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Francia followed a series of raids on the French northern coast mainly from what is now Denmark, although some also sailed from Norway and Sweden. These settlements were finally legitimized when Rollo, a Scandinavian Vikings, Viking leader, agreed to swear fealty to Charles the Simple, King Charles III of West Francia following the Siege of Chartres (911), siege of Chartres in 911, leading to the formation of the ''County of Rouen''. This new fief, through kinship in the decades to come, would expand into what came to be known as the ''Duchy of Normandy''. The Norse settlers, whom the region as well as its inhabitants were named after, adopted the language, Christianity, religion, culture, social customs and military, martial doctrine of the Wes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tudor Period
In England and Wales, the Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603, including the Elizabethan era during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603). The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England, which began with the reign of Henry VII. Under the Tudor dynasty, art, architecture, trade, exploration, and commerce flourished. Historian John Guy (1988) argued that "England was economically healthier, more expensive, and more optimistic under the Tudors" than at any time since the ancient Roman occupation. Population and economy Following the Black Death (1348) and the agricultural depression of the late 15th century, the population of England began to increase. In 1520, it was around 2.3 million. By 1600 it had almost doubled to 4 million. The growing population stimulated economic growth, accelerated the commercialisation of agriculture, increased the production and export of wool, encouraged trade, and promoted the growth of London. The high ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Henry V
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against France made England one of the strongest military powers in Europe. Immortalised in Shakespeare's "Henriad" plays, Henry is known and celebrated as one of the greatest warrior-kings of medieval England. Henry of Monmouth, the eldest son of Henry IV, became heir apparent and Prince of Wales after his father seized the throne in 1399. During the reign of his father, the young Prince Henry gained military experience fighting the Welsh during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr, and against the powerful Percy family of Northumberland. He played a central part at the Battle of Shrewsbury despite being just sixteen years of age. As he entered adulthood, Henry played an increasingly central role in England's government due to the declining health of h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maidstone Prison
HM Prison Maidstone is a Category C men's prison, located in Maidstone, Kent, England and operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History Maidstone Prison is one of the oldest penal institutions in the United Kingdom, having been in operation for over 200 years. Originally serving as a county jail, Maidstone was converted to a prison during the 1740s. During his visits, reformer John Howard reported poor living conditions including overcrowding and poor ventilation. However, conditions would remain unchanged until a reconstruction of the prison lasting from 1811 until its completion in 1819 at a cost of £200,000, under the supervision of Daniel Asher Alexander, who had worked on the construction of Dartmoor Prison, . Also involved in the design of Maidstone Prison was Kent architect John Whichcord Snr, who was Surveyor to the County of Kent from the 1820s. Mr Whichcord is probably best known for designing the Kent County Lunatic Asylum in the 1830s, also in Maidstone, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone
The Archbishop's Palace is a Grade I listed historic 14th-century and 16th-century building on the east bank of the River Medway in Maidstone, Kent. Originally a home from home for travelling archbishops from Canterbury, the building has been most recently used as a venue for wedding services. The former tithe barn for the palace (today severed from the palace by the A229), now serves as the Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages. History The Manor of Maidstone was probably given to the Archbishops of Canterbury as a royal gift during the 7th or 8th centuries. A house on the site of the palace was given to Archbishop Langton by Rector William de Cornhill in 1207 to be used as a resting-place for archbishops travelling between London and Canterbury and is linked to palaces at Charing, Otford and Croydon. Cornhill's house was demolished by Archbishop Ufford. The first work on the current building was ordered by Archbishop Ufford in 1348 and was continued by Archbishop Islip ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ightham Mote
Ightham Mote (), at Ightham, is a medieval moated manor house in Kent, England. The architectural writer John Newman describes it as "the most complete small medieval manor house in the county". Ightham Mote and its gardens are owned by the National Trust and are open to the public. The house is a Grade I listed building, and parts of it are a Scheduled Ancient Monument. History 14th century–16th century The origins of the house date from circa 1340–1360. The earliest recorded owner is Sir Thomas Cawne, who fought in France with Edward the Black Prince and who acquired the Mote in the 1360s.''Ightham at the Crossroads'' by Jean Stirk and David Williams published by Red Court Publishing, copyright Ightham Parish Council, Jean Stirk and David Williams, 2015. ISBN 978-0-9930828-0-1 He died in 1374 and there is a memorial to him in St Peter’s Church. In 1399 on the death of his son Robert the house passed by the marriage of Robert’s daughter Alice to Nicholas Haute and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knole House
Knole () is a British country house and former archbishop's palace owned by the National Trust. It is situated within Knole Park, a park located immediately to the south-east of Sevenoaks in west Kent. The house ranks in the top five of England's largest houses, under any measure used, occupying a total of . The current house dates back to the mid-15th century, with major additions in the 16th and, particularly, the early 17th centuries. Its Grade I listing reflects its mix of late-medieval to Stuart structures and particularly its central façade and state rooms. In 2019, an extensive conservation project, "Inspired by Knole", was completed to restore and develop the structures of the buildings and thus help to conserve its important collections. The surrounding deer park has also survived with varying degrees of management in the 400 years since 1600. History Location Knole is located at the southern end of Sevenoaks, in the Weald of west Kent. To the north, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climate. Canterbury is a popular tourist destination, with the city's economy heavily reliant upon tourism, alongside higher education and retail. As of 2011, the city's population was over 55,000, including a substantial number of students and one of the highest student-to-permanent-resident ratios in Britain. The site of the city has been occupied since Paleolithic times and served as the capital of the Celtic Cantiaci and Jutes, Jute Kingdom of Kent. Many historical structures fill the area, including a city wall founded in Roman Britain, Roman times and rebuilt in the 14th century, the Westgate Towers museum, the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey, the Norman Canterbury Castle, and the List of the oldest schools in the world, oldest extant schoo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dover Castle
Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some writers say it is the largest castle in England, a title also claimed by Windsor Castle. History Iron age This site may have been fortified with earthworks in the Iron Age or earlier, before the Roman conquest of Britain, Romans invaded in AD 43. This is suggested on the basis of the unusual pattern of the earthworks which does not seem to be a perfect fit for the medieval castle. Excavations have provided evidence of Iron Age occupation within the locality of the castle, but it is not certain whether this is associated with the hillfort. Roman era The site also contains one of Dover's two Dubris#Lighthouses, Roman lighthouses one of only three surviving Roman-era lighthouses in the world, and the tallest and most complete standing Roman structure in Engla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
All Saints Church, Maidstone
All Saints is a parish church in Maidstone, Kent. It is a Grade I listed buildingand has been described as the grandest Perpendicular style church in Kent. Establishment and dissolution Founded by the Archbishop of Canterbury William Courtenay in 1395 as part of a new College of All Saints, the church replaced an earlier one on the site dedicated to St Mary. Courtenay died in 1396, and the church and college were completed by his successor, Thomas Arundel, between 1396 and 1398. Richard II endowed the college with land and income from the Hospital of St Peter and St Paul in Maidstone and from the parishes of Linton, Farleigh, Sutton and Crundale. The college was also granted the advowsons for the parishes. To cover the cost of building the college, Courtenay obtained a bull to levy a charge of fourpence in the pound on all ecclesiastical revenue raised in his archbishopric. When the college was closed in 1546 following the passing of the Chantries Act, its annual income ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle is a castle in Kent, England, southeast of Maidstone. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds and is a historic Grade I listed estate. A castle has existed on the site since 857. In the 13th century, it came into the hands of King Edward I, for whom it became a favourite residence; in the 16th century, Henry VIII used it as a dwelling for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The present castle dates mostly from the early 19th century. Its last private owner, Olive, Lady Baillie, left the castle in trust to open it to the public. It has been open since 1976. History Medieval and Tudor From 857, the site was owned by a Saxon chief called Led or Leed who built a wooden structure on two islands in the middle of the River Len. In 1119, Robert de Crevecoeur rebuilt it in stone as a Norman stronghold and Leeds Castle descended through the de Crevecoeur family until the 1260s. What form this Norman str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
