BEKESBOURNE

 I had several reasons for visiting Bekesbourne. Unfortunately, I couldn't complete my search. I still need to visit the church, and find the field which has been planted with tetrahedras! Haha, I will explain when you can see a picture of them!

Meanwhile, this is the remains of a former Archbishop's Palace, which is now residential properties.

A cottage and barn in the grounds of The Old Palace,  was the gatehouse of Archbishop Cranmer's place, built in 1552, enlarged by Archbishop Parker in the later 16th c., and demolished in the Civil War. The present house is late 18th/19th c.  The cottage carries a tablet with Cranmer's initials and the date 1552.  Excavations revealed remains of a substantial 13th-14th century L-shaped building, underlying the 16th century palace. Much Roman occupation debris was found below the Medieval levels including wheel-made and coarse hand-made (?early Anglo-Saxon) pottery. The prior's apartment and adjoining chapel, the hall and the prior's dormitory and everything else except a lodge and two barns, were built during the reign of Henry 7th by Prior Thomas Goldston of Christchurch, Canterbury. At the dissolution the estate passed to Thomas Colepeper and then to Thomas Cranmer who made the buildings into the Archbishop's Palace and built the gateway in 1552. The remains of the palace are in the gardens around the house.  The house itself was built by Robert Packham in the late C18. At the east end of the south front is a C19 addition forming an L-wing. 

Bekesbourne sits on the Nailbourne River. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. I don't know the science, but the Nailbourne only appears when there's been a lot of rain. In Summer, it goes on holiday!  The bridge is for pedestrians,  motor vehicles have to use the ford. Today it was running a little too deep for my little bike.

A random tale, recorded by Daniel Defoe, as told to him.

It would seem that a Mrs. Veal of Dover visited her friend Mrs. Bargrave in Canterbury, in September 1705.

Mrs. Bargrave was the daughter of a Bekesbourne yeoman, who had cut her off for marrying a second time against his wishes.

The two women chatted about the long journey she was about to make, and Mrs. Veal asked Mrs. Bargrave to arrange for a tombstone to be made for her mother's grave, with enough empty space for her own name to be added as and when appropriate.

Mrs. Veal then left her friend, saying that she was going to visit a cousin whilst in Canterbury. She was never seen again.....................

It was only later, that Mrs. Bargrave learned that her friend had died in Dover, the day before the visit. The story began to circulate, even drawing the attention of Queen Anne and her consort, Prince George of Denmark, who asked a local expert in such matters to investigate. He found nothing to disprove the tale!