Banbury Castle
| Banbury Castle | |
|---|---|
| Banbury,Oxfordshire,England | |
  Banbury Castle | |
| Coordinates | 52°03′46″N1°20′05″W/ 52.0628°N 1.3348°W |
| Grid reference | grid referenceSP457407 |
| Type | Motte and bailey,laterconcentricpentagonal castle |
| Site information | |
| Condition | No remains |
| Site history | |
| Events | English Civil War |
Banbury Castlewas a medievalcastlethat stood near the centre of the town ofBanbury,Oxfordshire.Historian John Kenyon notes that the castle is "remarkable for its early concentric shape".[1]
History
[edit]Banbury Castle was built in 1135 byAlexander,Bishop of Lincoln,in amotte and baileydesign.[2]The castle was later confiscated from Alexander byKing Stephenin 1139, but was returned to the bishop later that year and mostly remained in the hands of later bishops until 1547.[2]The castle was protected by acastle-guarddrawn from estates around Banbury.[3]The castle was strengthened between 1201–7 during the reign ofKing John.[4]
The castle was subsequently completely rebuilt; earlier historians had concluded that the rebuilding occurred in the late 13th century, but archaeological excavations in the 1970s demonstrated that the work occurred between 1225–50.[5]The new castle had aconcentricpentagonal plan, with thick, embanked walls.[6]The castle had a gatehouse, although later damage means that its design remains uncertain.[1]Historian John Kenyon concludes that Banbury Castle is "remarkable for its early concentric shape", which is usually seen in somewhat later castles such asHarlechorBeaumaris.[1]By the second half of the 13th century the castle was being used as a prison by the bishops of Lincoln.[3]
The castle was bought byEdward Seymour,theDuke of Somerset,in 1547; it passed shortly afterwards toJohn Dudley,theDuke of Northumberland,who sold it to the Crown in 1551.[3]Shortly after this the prison in the castle diminished in size, vanishing entirely by the 1560s.[3]The prison was recreated in the 1580s, however, for holdingrecusants,that is to say Roman Catholics who refused to attend Church of England services as was required by law.[3]In 1595 Banbury Castle was leased toRichard Fiennes, 7th Baron Saye and Sele.[7]
When theFirst English Civil Warbegan in August 1642, Banbury Castle was fortified by aParliamentariangarrison under Richard Fiennes' sonWilliam.[8]After thebattle of Edgehillin October, theRoyalistarmy marched south and forced the surrender of the castle and its stock of 1,500 firearms.[7]The fortifications were strengthened and in 1644 the castle was besieged again, this time by Parliamentarian forces under the command of William Fiennes.[9]The royal governor, 18-year-oldWilliam Compton,held out between July and October, when Compton's brother,James,relieved the siege.[7]In November,Charles Idined in the castle.[7]In January 1646 SirEdward Whalleyplaced the castle under siege again with a force of 3,000 men; the Royalist cause was collapsing, and in May Compton and his force of 300 men surrendered.[7]
After the war the castle itself wasslighted,or deliberately demolished, in 1648 to prevent its further use; Fiennes was paid £2,000 by Parliament in compensation.[7]Stones from the castle were later used to build houses in the town.
Today
[edit]
Nothing can now be seen of Banbury Castle, whose location is marked by Castle Street.[10]The site was excavated in 1973–74.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcKenyon, p. 68.
- ^abMackenzie, p. 150; "Banbury: Buildings",A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 10: Banbury Hundred,pp. 29–42, accessed 22 June 2011.
- ^abcde"Banbury: Buildings,"A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 10: Banbury Hundred,pp. 29–42, accessed 22 June 2011.
- ^Fry, p. 183.
- ^Fasham, pp. 79, 117.
- ^Fasham, p. 117.
- ^abcdefMackenzie, p. 151.
- ^Mackenzie, p. 151; Fasham, pp. 88, 118;
- ^Mackenzie, p. 151; Fasham, pp. 88, 118.
- ^"A History of Banbury".Banbury Cross.Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2007.Retrieved6 December2007.
Bibliography
[edit]- Fasham, P. J. (1983). "Excavations in Banbury, 1972: second and final report".Oxoniensia48. pp. 71–118.
- Fry, Plantagenet Somerset (1980).The David & Charles Book of Castles.Newton Abbot, UK: David and Charles.ISBN0-7153-7976-3.
- Kenyon, John R. (1990).Medieval Fortifications.London: Continuum.ISBN978-0-8264-7886-3.
- MacKenzie, James Dixon (1896/2009).The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure.General Books LLC.ISBN978-1-150-51044-1.