Who We Are.
Where it all Began,
A brief history
How we got to today
Where are we heading?
In an area along the Whitstable coastline there are many stories to tell,
it would have been inhabited by prehistoric wild life and Neolithic peoples.
The Romans arriving in the area between 1st - 4th C, would have left much evidence and William the Conqueror gave land here to his half brother Odo after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 as a Manor.
The discovery of pyrites, coming onto the beaches leaking iron sulphate or green vitriol, became a valuable commodity throughout Medieval times, causing this area to become industrial since Elizabeth the First’s time. This commodity’s value declined after the boom of the Napoleonic years as iron sulphate was a component of gunpowder. Toward the end of 1700’s the land came into the possession of Elizabeth Radford by an uncle’s will. She married a London business man, Charles Pearson In 1788. In 1790 they built a Gothic, octagonal tower, called Tankerton Tower, the beginnings of today’s current building.
Charles Pearson died in 1828 and the tower passed to his son Charles. Having financial problems he sells the tower and lands to Wynn Ellis, who he was connected to by family marriages. Ellis was s business man, philanthropist and picture collector, a self-made man who was an MP.
In 1836 he extended the property and in true Victorian style decorated the fine rooms, Tankerton Manor House was born and he took on the title of Lord of the Manor. Several families owned the property until the Mallendain Family bought the estate in 1920 along with the title ‘Lord of the Manor’. The family hosted many parties and held an Annual Garden Party which was a major Whitstable social event.
Mallendain sold the property to Whitstable Urban District Council in 1935 when it was then extended for use as the council offices for £10.000. The Castle now comes into use during WW2 as a base for the Civil Defence and most probably an excellent position for fire watching and the events happening overhead at Folkestones’ ‘Hell Fire Corner’, by the local corps
After Local Government Reorganisation in the 1970’s a Castle Centre Association was formed. From 1975 to the present day it has been used by local groups for the benefit of local people. In 2005 KCC approved a Licence for Civil Weddings and Ceremonies with 2010 seeing the forming of the Whitstable Castle Trust managing the Estate and buildings.
The future of the Castle will see it continue its commitment to preserving its history and services to the community whilst bringing bigger and better events, collaborations & seasonal festivivities with aims to enforcing local bonds and creating new friendships and of course providing big scones!
