Coldred is a settlement in the
Shepherdswell with Coldred
Shepherdswell with Coldred is a civil parish in the Dover District of Kent, England. The parish contains the villages of Shepherdswell and Coldred, apart, and the hamlet of Coxhill just south-west of Shepherdswell.
Shepherdswell with Coldred i ...
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
in the
Dover District
Dover is a local government district in Kent, England. The port town of Dover is its administrative centre. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the boroughs of Deal, Dover, and Sandwich along with Dover Rural District and most of Ea ...
of
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, England. The main part of the village is Coldred Street which lies to the south-west.
Name
There are various competing views of the origin of the name. Based on the Domesday Book entry, the Oxford Dictionary of Place Names gives "Clearing where coal is found, or where charcoal is made. OE col + *ryde". This is also quoted by the village website which lists the variant names of "Coeldred", "Coelret" and "Colret". Hastead thought that the name was from its "cold and bleak situation" though he mentioned that it might be named after
Ceolred of Mercia
Ceolred (died 716) was King of Mercia from 709 to 716.
Mercia at the end of the 7th century
By the end of the 7th century, England was almost entirely divided into kingdoms ruled by the Anglo-Saxons, who had come to Britain two hundred years ...
who may have visited the place in 715.
History
The documentary history for early times appears to be fairly sparse. Early Archaeological finds indicate that there was Roman activity in the area and the finding of calcined bones and urns together may indicate
pre-Christian Roman burials. The Dover Express and East Kent News mentions "history of Caesar's movements" as the origin of the earthworks, but unfortunately doesn't state where this supposition comes from. The
Anglo-Saxon chronicle
The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of A ...
for 715 does state "Her Ine & Ceolred fuhton æt Woddes beorge". Unfortunately there are a number of locations that this could be, one is
Adam's Grave
Adam's Grave was a Neolithic long barrow near Alton Barnes in Wiltshire, southwest England. Its remains have been scheduled as an ancient monument.
The barrow is considered to be of the Severn-Cotswold tomb type. These generally consist of lon ...
in Wiltshire, but local tradition is that it was
Woodnesborough
Woodnesborough ( ) is a village in the Dover District of Kent, England, west of Sandwich. The population taken at the 2011 census included Coombe as well as Marshborough, and totalled 1,066. There is a Grade II* listed Anglican church dedicat ...
near Sandwich, Kent. The latter is about to the north-north-east. The tradition is that "it is quite probable there was a further fight at Coldred, which is a position which may be regarded as an outpost of Dover".
Following the
Norman conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...
in 1066 the manor fell into the hands of
Odo
Odo or ODO may refer to:
People
* Odo, a given name; includes a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Franklin Odo (born 1939), Japanese-American historian
* Seikichi Odo (1927–2002), Japanese karateka
* Yuya Odo (born 1990 ...
, Earl of Kent, Bishop of Bayeux and half brother of
William I
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 108 ...
. The entry in the Domesday book (below) reflects this though four years later at the
trial of Penenden Heath
The trial of Penenden Heath occurred in the decade after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, probably in 1076, and involved a dispute between Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, half-brother of William the Conqueror and Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury a ...
he was deprived of the manor and it reverted to the crown. Tha manor was granted to the Saye family who passed it to
The Hospital of St Mary, Domus Dei, or Maison Dieu in nearby Dover. Following the
dissolution of the monasteries it passed back into the King's hands who granted it to
Thomas Culpeper
Thomas Culpeper ( – 10 December 1541) was an English courtier and close friend of Henry VIII, and related to two of his queens, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. He is known to have had many private meetings with Catherine after her mar ...
. Following his execution it passed through King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...
's hands to
Sir John Gage who in turn passed it to the
Archbishop of Canterbury. The manor was leased out by the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners
The Ecclesiastical Commissioners were, in England and Wales, a body corporate, whose full title was Ecclesiastical and Church Estates Commissioners for England. The commissioners were authorized to determine the distribution of revenues of the Chu ...
.
Some years before 1800 the earth gave way in the middle of the public road. A well deep was discovered. As with much else as Coldred there is a debate over this. Hasted in 1800 gives the first mention and fixes the date of the discovery. He connects it with the supposed Roman activity. The Dover Express notes that the well affords a good supply of water and that it "was sunk to supply the needs of the ancient encampment, a circumstance which points to the existence of a permanent station, such as would have been formed by the Romans rather than an earthwork thrown up for a casual conflict like that between Ceoldred and Ina. Tatton-Brown notes the well and cites Hasted. He is undecided as to whether it is "the original castle well, or Roman".
About to the southeast is the site of the former
Guildford Colliery. Sinking started in 1906 but the colliery was never successful and closed in 1921. It was served by a spur from the
East Kent Light Railway
The East Kent Light Railway was part of the Colonel Stephens group of cheaply built rural light railways in England. Holman Fred Stephens was engineer from its inception, subsequently becoming director and manager. The line ran from Sheph ...
. The track has now been lifted but the embankment is still clearly visible starting north of the church and forming an arc to the west before bisecting the road between Coldred and Coldred Street.
Domesday Book
The
Domesday book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
entry for Coldred (in Sankaran's translation) reads:
The Latin gives the name as "COLRET".
St Pancras' Church
St Pancras' Church is a grade I
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
number 1069988.
Churches dedicated to St Pancras are uncommon in England, there only being six. There is one other St Pancras church in Kent, the very early Saxon church of
St Augustine's Abbey
St Augustine's Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Canterbury, Kent, England. The abbey was founded in 598 and functioned as a monastery until its dissolution in 1538 during the English Reformation. After the abbey's dissolution, it underwent ...
, Canterbury.
The listing for the parish church accepts that it is a Saxon church. Evidence such as the form of the windows and their heads and the structure of the nave and chancel walls are cited. In the 11th century alterations were made, possibly at that time the flint quoins were replaced by ashlar blocks.
Tatton-Brown in his 1992 survey and report to the
Kent Archaeological Society
The Kent Archaeological Society was founded in 1857 to promote the study and publication of archaeology and history, especially that pertaining to the ancient county of Kent in England. This includes the modern administrative county as well as area ...
disagrees with this. He dates the original structure to the late 11th century. He states that there is no evidence of pre-Norman work, citing the absence of any mention in the Domesday Book entry.
In the 14th century two windows were inserted into the nave walls. The south doorway was added at this time, and it is possible that the original door is still in place, though traces of earlier zig-zag moulding are above it. Also at this time the original west end
bell cote
A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from ...
was built. In the 15th century a two-light window was added to the south chancel wall.
Further restoration occurred in 1866, 1890 (when the porch and vestry were added) and 1923 (when the bell-cote was rebuilt). The vestry has a reset medieval dedication cross. The 19th century changes included inserting the
decorated style
English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...
east window.
The interior is mainly of 19th century origin, with the exception of the
aumbrey
An ambry (or ''almery'', ''aumbry''; from the medieval form ''almarium'', cf. Lat. ''armārium'', "a place for keeping tools"; cf. O. Fr. ''aumoire'' and mod. armoire) is a recessed cabinet in the wall of a Christian church for storing sacred vesse ...
in the north chancel wall.
The church houses one of the oldest bells in Kent, that of 1175 – 1200. The bell ( approx) was noted as badly cracked and stored in the church in 1887. However the plaque by the bell states that it broke in two on Maundy Thursday, 6 April 1939. It was replaced in 1939.
Coldred Court farmhouse

The farmhouse is a grade II listed building (number 1049087) southwest of the church. The listing notes that it is a 15 century
timber framed
Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
building clad in 17 century red brick. Internally the timber frame is freestanding and visible within the later brick skin. It is within a moated manorial site.
Ringwork and Bailey
Surrounding the church is an earthwork which is a
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
number 1012260. The scheduling statement for it describes it as late Anglo-Saxon to the later 12th century
ringwork
A ringwork is a form of fortified defensive structure, usually circular or oval in shape. Ringworks are essentially motte-and-bailey castles without the motte. Defences were usually earthworks in the form of a ditch and bank surrounding the site. ...
. The listing statement for the church gives the date as "indeterminate, but possibly Roman". Tatton-Brown refers to it thus: "The whole of the curving northern boundary of the churchyard is the outer bailey bank of the early Norman motte and bailey castle". Hasted reports the local tradition that it was built by Ceoldred of Mercia in 715. As evidence he cites the
Anglo-Saxon chronicle
The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of A ...
which mentions that Ceoldred fought a battle with
Ina, king of the West Saxons in 715 nearby. However Hasted then says that "it probably may be of Roman original, whatever use might be made of it afterwards" after mentioning Roman finds in the area. This account is repeated in a series of articles published in the local paper a hundred years later.
Whatever the original use, the extant remains are of the ringwork. Ringworks are a small fortified area, usually with a ditch, bank and palisade. There are only 200 recorded ringworks in England. Of these less than 60 have a bailey or outer less well defended area. The designation states: "as one of a limited number and very restricted range of Anglo-Saxon and Norman fortifications, ringworks are of particular significance to our understanding of the period". The Coldred example is further notable for its association with Odo of Bayeux and the early chapel.
The north-west of the ringwork today is a bank of up to high with a ditch on the outside up to deep. Some farm buildings dating from both medieval and more modern times have been built some of the earthworks. Originally this would have been the site of the residential buildings. The bailey was to the south-east and here the bank is wide, high and the ditch nearly deep. This area would have been the stables, workshops and barracks. To the north of this area the ditch has been partially filled in, but a low outer bank is also visible.
Notes
References
Citations
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External links
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{{authority control
Villages in Kent
Dover District