The Incredible Chilham Castle

Emma Morby is the Director Of Land Acquisition at Heritage England Limited. In this article, she describes the Chilham Castle in Kent.

Chilham Castle is a Grade I listed castle in the heart of Kent and is one of the most beautiful houses and estates in the southeast of England.

Built by Sir Dudley Digges, Chilham Castle is steeped in history. Originally built in 709 AD as a fortress by Wihtred King of Kent, it has been the seat of several kings over the intervening years – including Saint Louis King of France, King Edward I, King Edward II and King Henry VIII – and as such commands a high price tag. It is architecturally outstanding and comes with 16 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, and 13 living rooms.

More recently it was purchased in 2002 by Stuart and Tessa Wheeler, who are the current owners. Stuart Wheeler sadly died in July 2020 and it was decided to put the castle up for sale.

As soon as you drive through the front gate, flanked by the entrance lodges, you get a glimpse of Chilham Castle and realise you are in the grounds of something very special. The castle is centred in the middle of a 300-acre estate and has beautifully manicured gardens, a number of terraces, a large kitchen garden and overlooks amazing views of historic parkland.

The castle is around 33,000 sq ft and has a range of impressive rooms such as formal reception rooms including the morning room, library, study, card room and dining room, along with kitchen, family areas, domestic offices and the striking 1920s marble indoor swimming pool. The first and second floor have a number of large bedrooms and bathrooms all with beautifully restored original features, such as large open fireplaces and wood panelling.

There is also a 2-bedroom staff flat, extensive domestic offices, large cellars and additional property and outbuildings scattered throughout the grounds.

Below the kitchen garden are the two Astroturf tennis courts set at 90° to each other to allow play regardless of the position of the sun. Beyond the tennis courts is a lovely arboretum-like walk and former rockery which leads down to a large 3-acre lake with a boathouse and former cricket pitch adjacent. From the lake, there are breathtaking views back up to the castle with the Taittinger-planted vineyard below the terraces.

To the west of the castle is the U-shaped stable block with outdoor flood-lit manège.

Chilham Castle is a truly magnificent property in a landscape of extraordinary beauty, but with all this beauty comes a price tag to match. At just a touch over £15,000,000, this unique, breathtaking property and its estate could be yours!