Summary
Green Court is the largest of the seven courtyards at Knole measuring, in its modern form, approximately 56 m (188ft) N/S x 33 m (108 ft) E/W. The origins of Green Court and, by implication, those of the main West Front, cannot at present be definitely confirmed, while the phasing of Green Court is also unclear. Although it has traditionally been held that they were added by Henry VIII in the first half of the 16th century, it seems almost inconceivable that a building programme of such a scale could be undertaken by the Crown with no record surviving in the History of the King’s Works. Emery (2006, 368) has drawn attention to the early style of the gatehouse compared to Henry VIII’s more stylistically mature work of the 1530s and 1540s and, from the available evidence, it seems increasingly reasonable to assign the construction of Green Court in broad terms to the later years of archiepiscopal occupation, before it was surrendered up to the Crown in 1538. Its original form may however have been significantly different to the present layout, possibly comprising the gatehouse, north range and a stone ‘curtain’ wall to the south and west, against which timber framed ranges were built, and which was incorporated into the current ranges at a later date.
Identification Images (1)
Most Recent Monitoring
None Recorded
Monument Types
- COURTYARD (Medieval to Late 19th C - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
Description
During 2006, Archaeology South East conducted a watching brief in Green Court. The watching brief at Green Court revealed two linear drainage gulleys, which ran alongside the north and south edges of the path from east to west. A single east west linear arrangement of irregular shaped stone blocks, within a probable foundation cut, was recorded close to the west end of the path. A ceramic lined drain orientated north south, capped by stone flags, was also recorded below the level of the pathway.
References
- --- SNA64034 - National Trust Report: Archaeology South-East. 2007. An Archaeological Watching Brief and Historic Building Record during work at Stone Court, Green Court and the Orangery Roof, Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent.
- --- SNA64036 - National Trust Report: Bartlett, A.. 2007. Knole, Kent: Report on Archaeogeophysical Survey 2007.
- --- SNA64038 - Conservation Plan: Oxford Archaeology. 2007. Knole, Kent: Conservation Management Plan Vol. 1. 1.
- --- SNA64039 - Conservation Plan: Oxford Archaeology. 2007. Knole, Kent: Conservation Management Plan Vol. 2. 2.
- --- SNA64580 - National Trust Report: Archaeology South-East. 2010. An Archaeological Watching Brief at Knole House, Sevenoaks during Enabling Groundworks for Foul Water Separation Provision.
Other Statuses and References
None Recorded
Associated Events
- ENA5631 - Non Archaeological Intervention, An Archaeological Watching Brief during work at Green Court, Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent
- ENA5635 - Remote Sensing, Archaeogeophysical Survey 2007, Green Court
- ENA6174 - Non Archaeological Intervention, An Archaeological Watching Brief at Knole House, Sevenoaks during Enabling Groundworks for Foul Water Separation (Ref: ASE Report 2010121)
Associated Finds
None Recorded