Monument record 1679/5/1 - Higham Ferrers Castle

The incomplete remains of a medieval castle are evident as a bank and a large L-shaped pond. The pond is believed to be the last vestiges of a water-filled moat. The castle was probably built in the late 11th century and documentary sources assert that is was in a neglected state by the late 15th century. Three wards are documented in 1322. It was demolished in 1523. Records show that the castle also had a garden, dovecote and a fishpond. Part of the ramparts have been used as a rabbit warren and it is thought that the defences were probably never completed. Scheduled.

{1} Documentary source: medieval castle of Higham Ferrers, wrongly located at SP961688. Built in the 11th century, it was transferred to the crown under Henry IV. It was built by William Peveral but soon became little more than a manor house and became neglected by the late 15th century. Stones were removed for Kimbolton Castle from 1523 onwards as the castle was by then "beying all rased in grete ruyne and decay" (source of quote unknown). The castle defences consist of a middle gate with a steward's chamber above, a town gate, an east or field gate, a postern and a drawbridge.

{3} Cole's description mentions an elevated mound encompassed by a deep moat which he regarded as the site of the keep, and which could have been a motte. However it could also simply have been a compact defended inner enclosure, which in some ways would fit what is known about the size and plan of the place rather better. Documentary source mentioning barns, stables and animal sheds of the medieval castle of Higham Ferrers. Its description of the castle yard in the mid 17th century mentions a dovehouse, a hayloft of three bays and a moulting house of 8 bays, in an area about 400ft square.

{4} Castle (site of) immediately N of church. Built, probably soon after 1066 by William Peverel. Little is known of its history but various documents record buildings associated with the site. References are made to the great hall, a number of named chambers, a kitchen, larder, buttery, pantry etc as well as to stables, barns and animal sheds. Neglected by late C15th. 1523 license granted to remove stone. Site now built upon (no record made of finds). Short scarp 2 m. high only remains of castle. Large L-shaped moat or pond and large mound to N are of unknown date or function. By the C15th this area was being used as a rabbit warren: moat probably served as a fishpond.

{9} No medieval documents certainly mention any stone keep; Cole's description conflicts with Bridges & Norden;

{11} An evaluation excavated four trenches. In trenches B and C a large ditch was found. Its width was not found and depth was only excavated to a maximum of 1.6 metres.

{12} A large ditch was located. Its fill was excavated to a maximum depth of 1.6m. A series of fills of medieval date was overlaid by a thick layer of silt which presumably indicates a period of slow silting into a partially filled ditch. A nuremberg token of Hans Krauwinkel (1580-1610)was recovered from the silt layer. The silt layer was overlaid by a series of fills of post-medieval date which suggest that the subsequent infill took place over a long period of time between the 17th and 19th centuries. An early 19th century documentary evidence to the filling of a deep moat and the levelling of the area within it perhaps relates to the final infill of this ditch. There can be little doubt that this ditch is part of the defences of the castle; possibly it enclosed the Inner Ward.A mound on the inner edge of the ditch is likely to have been created at the same time as the ditch-raising the area inside the ditch by c.1.4m

{17} {18} {24} In 1066 the manor of Higham was held by Gytha, countess of Hereford. At Higham there were then 2 hides in demesne, a market, mill and woodland and a priest. Higham was an hundredal manor and the hundred court met at Higham throughout the medieval and post medieval period. In 1155 the lordship was forfeit to the crown then granted for life to Robert de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, but returned to crown until 1199 when purchased from the crown by William de Ferrers. In 1266 the Earl of Derby's estates were seized by the crown and granted to Edmund, Earl of Lancaster. In 1322 it passed to Aylmer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, but returned to Duchy of Lancaster in 1327 and in 1399 the Duchy was merged with the lands of the crown.

The castle was also the manor in the medieval period. It is likely that the location of the castle was determined by estate function rather than strategic considerations, although it did lie close to two major roads. The area of the whole Castle Yard including the moats comprises about 1.5 hectares. The castle may prove originally to have been of motte and bailey type but it is perhaps more likely that it was simply of two unequally sized baileys, the smaller towards the churchyard and the larger to the north. The exact date of origin for the castle is not known but the presence of a major residence here in the 13th century is clearly demonstrated by the signing of royal documents at Higham. Though the castle had been demolished in the early 16th century there were substantial earthworks surviving for in 1646 it was ordered that 'no one shall put any nuisance into the castle ditch … or at the little gate of the castle, or deposit rubbish near the bounds..'. The earthworks of the castle still survived in the 18th century and with a low mound with a deep wide ditch bounding it on the western side is depicted by Eayre in circa 1720 immediately to the north of the castle 1720. The 1789 map shows very faintly three earthworks: the irregular mound in the warren which survives today, a bank which may be the outer bailey bank on the north side of the Castle Yard and a mound and curving ditch close to the church. It is clear from the 1649 survey and other sources discussed above that the demesne farm was maintained long after the rest of the castle was demolished. There were still payments of the 'Castle Guard' as late as 1694 but this does not imply the survival of any part of the castle.

The castle may prove originally to have been of motte and bailey type but it is perhaps more likely that it was simply of two unequally sized baileys, the smaller towards the churchyard and the larger to the north. The massive ditch and occupation evidence on an internal raised and embanked area probably representing the inner bailey or motte were revealed in evaluation trenching immediately north of the churchyard. There is evidence for pre castle structures probably of late Saxon date and other early medieval occupation which might pre date the defences. At some time during the 12th century the site was defended with a massive ditch. The area of the whole Castle Yard including the moats comprises about 1.5 hectares. However the possibility that the warren on the north side originated as an outer bailey in the early medieval period, as suggested for example at Rockingham, though unlikely should still be considered. The ruins are depicted on Norden's map of 1591 in the paddock immediately to the north of the church. The castle comprised an inner and an outer ward, both encompassed by stone walls with, in 1313-14, a wooden gallery over the wall. There were two outer gates, the town or west gate and the east or field gate. Both gates led out of the outer ward which clearly lay at the northern side of the castle.

Within the castle a wide range of buildings are described but in few cases can their position within the castle be located. These include the chapel, Great Hall, Lord's Chamber and the Lady's Chamber all in the lower ward. Then there were the Friar's chamber, Treasury Chamber, Kitchen, Scullery, Saucery, Larder, Buttery, Pantry, Chaunderye, Ewery, Cellar, Wine Cellar, Storehouse and Bakehouse. The long stable lay beside the east gate and the grange also towards the field. The castle suffered neglect in late 15th and early 16th century and in 1523 was 'all rased and in great ruin and decay' when the king granted Sir Richard Wingford the stone from the ruined castle to rebuild Kimbolton castle.

{25} The strength of the existing remains together with their abrupt termination support the suggestion of authority 3. that they were never completed.
Published survey (25" 1926) revised.

{26} The paddock noted by Authority {27} has been mown and levelled. The only feature readily identifiable on the surface seems to be the foundations of a long rectangular building aligned along the S bank of the moat. Mr A N Groome of Higham Ferrers History Society said there is documentary evidence that the successor to the Norman castle stood outside and immediately south of the moat. The field report of 1962 is still substantially correct. The water level on the revised 25", the 1:1250 resurvey of 1964, and the present situation indicate a seasonal fluctuation.

{27} Survey of the castle site in 1967 resulted in finds of buff shelly ware on ground surface at SP 961688. In the paddock south of the moat, foundations of limestone wall much overgrown by rough grass were observed. About 60 to 70 ft from the present west end of the moat and adjacent to it, a small rectangular chamber can be identified, with a buttress(?) running north into the present scarp of the moat. Beyond this to the east further walls could be traced by probing, but were too overgrown to allow of any firm identification without excavation. The stone lies 1-2 ins below the surface, and further south in the paddock, parched grass may indicate more foundations.

{28} The large L-shaped pond and the adjacent bank (described above), were both visible and mapped, as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project, from lidar imagery.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP96NE6 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.246 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<3> BROWN A.E., 1974, Higham Ferrers Castle - Or Otherwise, 5/79-84 (unchecked) (Article). SNN37501.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.55/Site 9 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<5> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.266-69 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<6> Kenyon J.R., 2008, Castles, Town Defences and Artillery Fortifications in the United Kingdom and Ireland: A Bibliography 1945 - 2006, (unchecked) (Bibliography). SNN106309.

<7> Beresford M.W., 1954, The Lost Villages of England, p.153-172 (unchecked) (Extract). SNN7102.

<8> TAYLOR C.C., 1974, FIELDWORK IN MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY, p.120+121 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN58049.

<9> NORDEN, 1720, Speculi Britannia, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN18149.

<10> Hearne T., 1744, Collectanea (Leland J.), (unchecked) (Series). SNN7216.

<11> SHAW M.; STEADMAN S., 1992, Archaeological evaluation at Higham Ferrers Castle in Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN40405.

<12> Pike, A (ed), 1992, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (22), 37-8 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN100613.

<14> COLE J., 1838, The History and Antiquities of Higham Ferrers (With Notes on Rushden and Irthlingborough), p.26+103 (unchecked) (Book). SNN71019.

<15> Kerr W.J.B., 1922, Higham Ferrers Castle and Park, p. 115; (Sketch plans) (Article). SNN60514.

<16> SERJEANTSON R.M., Untitled Source, 54+55 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN45527.

<17> Foard G.; Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Higham Ferrers (Medieval - Industrial), Section 3 in main report (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100543.

<18> Bainbridge T., 1789, Higham Ferrers, 1789 (NRO Map 1000), (unchecked) (Map). SNN100544.

<19> Dix B., 1992, Recent Work in Northamptonshire Archaeology, P121 (checked) (Article). SNN104441.

<20> Lanning K.; Pearson V.; Walker D., 1995, Castles in Northamptonshire: A Resource Pack for Teachers, (unchecked) (Educational Resource Pack). SNN75536.

<21> Kerr, W.J.B., 1922, Higham Ferrers and Its Ducal and Royal Castle and Park Part 2, (unchecked) (Book). SNN108294.

<22> Kerr, W.J.B., 1923, Higham Ferrers and Its Ducal and Royal Castle and Park Part 3, (unchecked) (Book). SNN108295.

<23> Kerr, W.J.B., 1921?, Higham Ferrers and Its Ducal and Royal Castle and Park Part 1, (unchecked) (Book). SNN108293.

<24> 1591, Bibliotheque Nationale Paris, Mss 706 Anglais, Acq. Nouv. No.58, (unchecked) (Map). SNN100545.

<25> Seaman, B H, 1962, Field Investigators Comments, F1 BHS 24-MAY-62 (Note). SNN113373.

<26> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F2 BHS 16-JUL-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

<27> Brown A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Medieval), p. 25 (Article). SNN26725.

<28> Environment Agency, LIDAR Composite DTM - 1m, LIDAR SP9668 Environment Agency 1M DTM 01 Oct 2014 - 31 May 2017 (Digital Plots). SNN111710.

<29> 1915, Associated Architectural Society Reports, 95-146, 326-372 (Journal). SNN69634.

<30> 1917, Associated Architectural Society Reports, p. 47-102 (Series). SNN69635.

<31> Cathcart King, D J, 1983, Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands, p. 319 (Book). SNN112899.

<32> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East), 890494 (Archive). SNN113295.

<33> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP, MD003015 (Archive). SNN113023.

<34> Historic England, Undated, CONEY GARTH, BB72/04263 (Archive). SNN114329.

<35> Historic England, Undated, CASTLE FISHPONDS (KEEP DATED TO 11TH CENT.), BB76/04265 (Archive). SNN114330.

Record last edited

Feb 23 2024 9:01AM