ing , ▁Kent ▁on ▁the ▁H oo ▁Pen ins ula ▁about ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁Ro chester . ▁It ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 8 0 s ▁by ▁the ▁Cob ham ▁family , ▁the ▁local ▁l ords ▁of ▁the ▁man or , ▁to ▁guard ▁the ▁area ▁against ▁French ▁ra ids ▁into ▁the ▁Th ames ▁Est u ary . ▁The ▁castle ▁has ▁an ▁unusual ▁layout , ▁compr ising ▁two ▁w alled ▁w ards ▁of ▁une qual ▁size ▁next ▁to ▁each ▁other , ▁surrounded ▁by ▁mo ats ▁and ▁d itch es . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁earliest ▁English ▁castle ▁designed ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁gun pow der ▁weapons ▁by ▁its ▁def enders . ▁ ▁Despite ▁this ▁distinction , ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁gun pow der ▁weapons ▁against ▁the ▁castle ▁proved ▁dev ast ating . ▁It ▁was ▁captured ▁after ▁only ▁eight ▁hours ▁when ▁Sir ▁Thomas ▁Wy att ▁bes ie ged ▁it ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 5 5 4 ▁during ▁his ▁un success ful ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁Queen ▁Mary . ▁His ▁attack ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁the ▁castle , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁subsequently ▁abandoned ▁and ▁allowed ▁to ▁fall ▁into ▁dis rep air . ▁A ▁farm house ▁and ▁out build ings ▁were ▁constructed ▁among ▁the ▁ru ins ▁a ▁century ▁later . ▁Today ▁the ▁farm house ▁is ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁music ian ▁J ools ▁Holland , ▁while ▁the ▁nearby ▁bar n ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁wed ding ▁ven ue . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁ ▁The ▁castle ▁was ▁originally ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Th ames