Monument record 3884/0/89 - Horn Castle

An area known as Horn Castle in the 18th century. It has been claimed that this is the location of a castle, but this is unlikely as there are no contemporary references and this area lay within the open fields during the medieval period. An engraving of a crenellated struture probably represents the gatehouse of Croyland Abbey grange.

{1}{2} In St Marys End in 1803 there was an area called the Horn Castle with a lane running to it called Castle Lane. The earliest reference so far located is in 1771. It has been claimed that a castle stood in this area in the medieval period, or in the Castle Fields to the east of this where masonry is said to have been ploughed up in the 1940s. This is extremely unlikely as it was not an area of old inclosures, and is covered by ridge and furrow showing it was part of the open fields. No medieval reference to a castle has been identified and, as the main manor within the town was held by a monastic house from the 10th century, the claim of a medieval castle must be treated with care, though it could have lain within one of the lesser manors.

{1} It has been suggested that the crenellated gatehouse shown in an engraving which purports to be Wellingborough Castle in 1657 in fact represents the gate to the grange, for Cole states of the Croyland Hall that 'that distinguishing characteristic of a castellated edifice - the gateway, referred to by Bridges, has been swept away'. This was certainly a large structure, for the medieval accounts include payments to a tiler for work on 'the great gates'.

<1> Foard G, 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Wellingborough (Medieval + Post Medieval), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100339.

<2> 1771, Survey of Wellingborough Hatton manor 1771, (unchecked) (Document). SNN100360.

<3> James, W., 1803, Wellingborough Town 1803, (unchecked) (Map). SNN100362.

Record last edited

Apr 25 2025 9:39AM