Details

The monument includes a medieval gatehouse representing the standing remains
of a contemporary fortified house, situated on the western edge of Garlinge,
around 1km inland from the north Thanet coast.

The Grade II* Listed gatehouse has been dated to the early 15th century and
survives in almost complete form, with some subsequent restoration and repair.
It is a tall, roughly east-west aligned, rectangular building faced with
alternating horizontal bands of coursed squared, knapped flint and red and
yellow brick, decorated with ashlar dressings. The main approach to the
gatehouse was from the south, and the southern facade is pierced by a tall
carriage entrance, headed by a segmental arch. This is flanked to the west by
a smaller, pointed archway for pedestrians. The entrance way is topped with a
crenellated parapet. To the rear is a single, large, round-headed archway with
flint dressings. Flanking the cobble-faced entrance passage are four tall,
square, embattled corner towers pierced by gunloops and arrow slits. Each
tower contains a newel staircase giving access to the roof. Further
architectural decorations include a stone string course over the entrance
archways and a carved stone shield over the carriage arch, representing the
coat of arms of the Daundelyon family, for whom the gatehouse was built.

The gatehouse was originally the main entrance into the courtyard of a
contemporary fortified house. The house, now demolished, is thought to have
stood to the north of the gatehouse, in an area now occupied by a modern
housing estate. The construction of the modern houses will have caused
substantial damage to any surviving buried traces of the earlier medieval
house, this area is not therefore included in the scheduling.

All modern fixtures and fittings are excluded from the scheduling, although
the masonry around these features is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Fortified houses were residences belonging to some of the richest and most
powerful members of society. Their design reflects a combination of domestic
and military elements. In some instances, the fortifications may be cosmetic
additions to an otherwise conventional high status dwelling, giving a military
aspect while remaining practically indefensible. They are associated with
individuals or families of high status and their ostentatious architecture
often reflects a high level of expenditure. The nature of the fortification
varies, but can include moats, curtain walls, a gatehouse and other towers,
gunports and crenellated parapets.
Their buildings normally included a hall used as communal space for domestic
and administrative purposes, kitchens, service and storage areas. In later
houses the owners had separate private living apartments, these often
receiving particular architectural emphasis. In common with castles, some
fortified houses had outer courts beyond the main defences in which stables,
brew houses, granaries and barns were located.
Fortified houses were constructed in the medieval period, primarily between
the 15th and 16th centuries, although evidence from earlier periods, such as
the increase in the number of licences to crenellate in the reigns of Edward I
and Edward II, indicates that the origins of the class can be traced further
back. They are found primarily in several areas of lowland England: in upland
areas they are outnumbered by structures such as bastles and tower houses
which fulfilled many of the same functions. As a rare monument type, with
fewer than 200 identified examples, all examples exhibiting significant
surviving archaeological remains are considered of national importance.

Dent-de-Lion gatehouse represents the only standing remains of an otherwise
demolished fortified house. It survives well, retaining most of its original
fabric, including interesting decorative details, and provides evidence for
the high architectural quality and importance of the house during the medieval
period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: North East and North Kent, (1976), 328
Woodruff, C, 'Archaeologia Cantiana' in Dent-de-Lion Gatehouse, Margate, , Vol. 25, (1902), 57-63

Source: Historic England