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Description

TF 14 NE SOUTH KYME CHURCH LANE 7/14 Kyme Tower GV I Fortified tower. Mid C14 with additions, removed c.1725. Built for Sir Gilbert de Umfraville. Coursed limestone ashlar. 4-storey, square tower 77 ft high, with square projecting stair tower at the south-east corner which rises slightly higher than the main tower. Deeply chamfered plinth and 2 chamfered upper floor bands, topped with chamfered battlements. The south, entrance front, bears scars on the ground and first floors of the later attached house which has since been removed. The ground floor entrance doorway has a chamfered triangular headed, flush ashlar surround. Immediately above it is a similar doorway into the first floor level. To the left and at a higher level is a 2-light, reticulated tracery window in a chamfered, pointed surround. Above, centrally placed on the second and third floors are single similar windows with hoodmoulds. The west, north and east fronts are identical, though the west front bears scars of later additions since removed. Each front has on the ground floor a single light flat headed lancet, and on each of the 3 upper floors a centrally placed 2-light reticulated tracery window in a pointed chamfered surround with hoodmoulds. The stair tower has a slightly projecting chamfered face where it joins the tower's east face, which has 5 single-light flat headed lancets, and on the south and east faces it has 3 single-light flat headed lancets. Interior: the ground floor room has an octagonal ribbed vault with a large central boss bearing the arms of Sir Gilbert de Umfraville. The floor of the first floor room is reputedly patterned, hence its name 'the Chequered Chamber' thought this is not at present visible. No floors, ceilings or roofs survive higher up, though evidence for them does survive. The circular stone spiral staircase survives intact, with at the top a central newel post which rises as a colonnette to support the panelled vault above. The lower contains no fireplaces or guard robes, and it was presumably intended purely for defence, it stands within a large moated site. The attached house was demolished between 1720 and 1725, when chimney-pieces were bought by Mr Chaplin for Blankney Hall. This tower is the earliest of a series of fortified towers built in this part of Lincolnshire, it is the only one built of stone, the later ones like Tattershall Castle, The Tower on the Moor at Woodhall Spa, the Hussey Tower at Boston and Rochford Tower at Skirbeck are all built of brick. Listing NGR: TF1685849622

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