Building record 4156/1/6 - Rockingham Castle

Castle founded by William the Conqueror as a motte and bailey in 1066, rebuilt during the reign of Edward I as a residence and fortified in 1323. The castle started to fall into disrepair in 1485 and was subsequently rebuilt in the 16th century. During the Civil War the castle was fortified with a complex of earthworks and gun emplacements. The building was remodelled in 1660 and in the mid 19th century to designs by A Salvin. It is built of limestone ashlar with a Collyweston slate roof. Scheduled and listed.

{1} Castle, now country house. C11th castle founded by William the Conqueror. Parts of gatehouse may be of this date but mainly of 1275-80, also section of wall to south and structure of great hall. Range to east of great hall 1535 and datestone 1553, range to west of great hall C16 remodelled 1660 and mid C19th, by A. Salvin. Laundry to south and Walkers house to north of gatehouse 1650. Limestone ashlar and squared coursed limestone and ironstone with Collyweston slate roof. Originally motte and bailey with shell keep now an irregular H-shape layout with outer bailey to the north and a courtyard to the south. Mainly 2 storeys with attics. Gatehouse to east of outer building is squared coursed ironstone with pair of semicircular limestone ashlar towers with 2-centred arch between cross slits in towers, chamfered plinth, string courses and castellated parapets. C13th curtain wall attached to left has C17th gable to right and square turret to left with blocked 4-centred arch to first floor. Ear of Walker house attached to right is blank. Elevation of great hall, through gateway to left. Squared coursed limestone and ironstone. 5-window range of 4-, 3- and 2-light stone mullion and transom windows, with small gables over. C13th arch-head door opening to left is to screens passage and has coats of arms above. Large lateral stack to centre and C19th staircase projection by Salvin to right. Range attached to left breaks forward as three gables of ashlar and squared coursed limestone a d ironstone. 4-light stone mullion and transom windows and similar 2-light attic windows. Ashlar gable parapets with finials throughout, and stone stacks with octagonal flues at ridge and eaves. Rear of gatehouse and Walkers house are attached at right angles to left. Walkers house is single storey with attic and undercroft. 3-window range of stone mullion and transom windows with door opening combined in centre window. Ashlar parapets and hipped roof with 2 hipped roof dormers. West range attached at right angles to right of great hall is 4-window range of 3-light stone mullion and transom windows to first floor and similar 3-light windows to ground floor. 2 door openings with 4-centred heads and central lateral stack. Garden front to rear of west range is 11-window range of stone mullion windows, 5 to right have pediments over. Central gable is end of great hall range and has 6-light first floor and 4-light ground floor stone mullion and transom windows. Range to left has lo g central canted bay of 1838 by Salvin taken up as 3-storey tower with corner turret and castellated parapet. Gable to far right is also by Salvin and has steps attached, flanked by cannon balls. Rear of Great Hall is similar to front with C13 door to right. C18 gabled stair turret to right (to courtyard) has 2 sash windows. C17 four-window range to right of courtyard and similar range to left with C19 passage projection. C19 Bachelors wing in C17 style is attached to end of this range. The Street to right of the courtyard is a narrow yard with C17 two-storey range to left, part now a brewhouse, and C17 and C18 lean-to buildings abutting the C13 curtain wall to right. The laundry is attached to end of curtain wall by a square tower. 5-window range of 2-light stone mullion windows, some with transoms. Square head door with moulded stone surround to right. Moulded string courses, ashlar gable parapets and bellcote to left. First floor arch-head opening in tower to left of laundry. Interior: Great hall now subdivided has reset screens passage, reset C17 panelling and large fireplace with moulded stone surround. Inscriptions on ceiling beams. Kitchen with C19 range to left of Great Hall. C19 staircase to rear right. Panel room to right of Great Hall is also formed out of the original hall, has late C17 style panelling. Library to south of west range remodelled early C20 in C18 style. Staircase to long gallery by Salvin. Long gallery to first floor, north end of west ra ge, has fireplace dated 1634, but mainly C19 decoration. C17 staircase in Walkers house is probably reset. Rockingham was a Royal Castle from 1066 until 1619 when James I sold to Sir Lewis Watston whose family are the present owners. Attacked during the Civil War after which the remains of the Keep were demolished. (Garden is included in the HBMC County Register of Gardens at grade II*.)

{2} A former royal castle 1066-1619 and then a private castle was slighted after the civil war and became a country house. Has been in the ownership of the Watson family since 1619.This family has made a great deal of alterations to the remains of the former castle as well as further buildings created. Salvin for example, spent time remodelling the great hall in the mid 19th century.

{10} Undated photo, also four photos dated September 1980, and five photos dated September 1981;

{12} In 1066 Rockingham had been held by Bovi but by 1086 it was in the hands of the king. It was a small manor comprising just 1 hide. The castle erected by the king at Rockingham became the administrative centre of the forest of Rockingham, an extensive area brought under forest law by William I. Large tracts of woodland, which had been appendant to the royal manors of Corby, Gretton and Duddington in 1066, were detached from those manors and created as a royal forest attached to and administered from the royal castle. Until the C14th the manor was generally held by the king. In 1544 the manor was leased to Sir Edward Watson and in 1601-2 the Watson family purchased the manor outright, including the fairs, markets, tolls and customs. Then slightly later Sir Lewis Watson purchased the park at Rockingham, which had initially been retained by the crown, so completing their control of the whole manor.
The original castle was a motte and bailey, with a bailey flanking the motte on both north and south, taking up almost the whole of the narrow spur. The original timber defences were replaced in stone on the motte and north bailey, but there are no significant documentary records before the later C12th when repairs are recorded in 1187-8 to walls and buildings. However the castle had been developed at various times to maintain an up to date defensive form. The walls had been constructed in stone, by the early C13th if not before. There were two major building programmes in the earlier and late C13th and various repairs and alterations throughout the C13th and C14th. The need for this second major campaign of work was in part made clear by the 1250 survey which reveals that the outer moat was nearly silted up and the walls in such a state that it was probably undefendable.
There is detailed documentary information on the wide range of buildings within the castle of which the remains of the large C13th hall and chamber survive. Other buildings included a chapel, royal lodgings, kitchen, and various outbuildings including granary, coal house for charcoal, two stables and a gaol.
The castle was extensively rebuilt and developed as a country house by the Watson family from the mid C16th onwards. The main phases of building are from the later C16th and C17th. However in the C18th Rockingham was relegated to a secondary residence of the family and hence the next phase of remodelling did not occur until the C19th, with further reconstruction and alteration in the 1960s.
The scale of the earthen and stone construction at Rockingham, and the elaborate arrangements for the performance of castle-guard at Rockingham show that it was a major fortress, at least during the later C11th to C13th.
Rockingham is one of only four substantial Civil War garrisons and only two long term Civil War garrisons established in the county between 1642 and 1646.
Of the surviving medieval structures within the castle the earliest fabric is C13th. This comprises a hall and service bay, and probable chamber to west. Rest of the internal buildings are of the mid C16th onwards. Of the medieval defences there is a section of curtain wall between gatehouse and motte, the elaborate gatehouse itself. The motte has been largely removed and the ditch infilled by late C17th and C18th garden construction.
The medieval defensive wall survives in only a few places but its circuit is largely followed by the earlier C17th and Victorian garden wall.
The south bailey is much altered and the earthworks much reduced in height. Bounded by steep scarps on east and west. The main surviving earthwork is the bank c.1m high with an outer ditch c.12m wide and 1m deep. Slight traces of ridge ad furrow within the bailey.
Of the medieval castle only the gatehouse, the hall and fragments of walling survive.
The Civil War re-defence of the castle demands a detailed study in its own right combining the documentary and the earthwork evidence. Buried archaeological evidence should survive in various locations around the circuit but has yet to be distinguished from the remains of the medieval defences.
There is the need for comprehensive and detailed measured survey of the whole castle site, both the standing remains and the earthworks, combined with detailed analysis of the documentary sources in the PRO and in the Rockingham Castle collection. The potential exists for a detailed study of the Civil War refortification of the castle combining analysis of the documentary sources, the standing structures of the castle and the archaeological evidence, which may be expected in places to survive well, though the nature of any remains has yet to be recognised. It is likely that the terraces surrounding the castle bailey on the north and north west sides may be associated with the refortification of the 1640s. Other wholly buried archaeological deposits are to be expected.
For further details of the manor and castle see main report.

{16} Parkland of Rockingham Castle. Early formal gardens in former baileys of the medieval castle. Terraced lawns and stone walls. The Yew Walk dates to the C16/17th. Informal C19th Rose Garden on the site of the motte. The Grove or Wild Garden dates to the 1840s. The C18th landscape park is 150ha and lies within the area of the C13th or earlier deer park. There were in fact two early phases to the deer park.

{17) Listed by Cathcart King.

{20} Largely rebuilt in the reign of Edward I with new buildings, particularly royal apartments in the bailey, which was rebuilt in stone along with the keep. From 1341 until 1483 it was usually granted as a dower house to the Queen.

{22} Medieval and post medieval castle of Rockingham; constructed by William I to control strategic crossing of the River Welland; consisted of a central motte with a bailey on each side; refortified in 1644.

{26} It was last used as a royal residence by Henry V in 1422. It was possibly refortified in 1664, but in 1544 Edward Watson began to convert the castle into the present Tudor residence.

{35} Presentation of background history/archaeology.

{36} The castle was last used as a royal residence by Henry V in 1422. In 1544 Edward Watson began to convert the castle into the present Tudor residence but it may have been refortified in 1664 (?1644);

{37} Why William I should build such a large castle here is not certain. It stands strategically where the Northampton to Stamford road crosses the Welland, but a more important reason might be sought in the king's known interest in the Royal Forest and the chase. The later medieval history shows how useful it was found to be as a royal hunting lodge and on one famous occasion in 1095 as a centre for a council of the barons and prelates of the realm. No doubt it was the possiblity of building a castle which would enable him to combine business with pleasure as well as having some strategic usefulness which appealed to William I. A separate hunting lodge was built within the 1485 expansion of the medieval deer park.

{38} The medieval motte and bailey castle at Rockingham was constructed during the C11th by William the Conquerer to control the crossing of the River Welland. There are baileys to the north and south. It was last used as a royal residence by Henry V in 1422. The castle was later converted into a Tudor residence by Edward Watson, but was refortified in 1644 during the Civil War.

{41} [SP 86689133] ROCKINGHAM CASTLE [G.T.].

{44} Associated earthworks surveyed. GPs AO/61/140/3-8.

Rockingham Castle is said to have been founded by William the Conqueror in 1066. It was then used by successive monarchs as a residence and retreat. After a siege in 1220 the castle was damaged but was rebuilt by Edward I as a residence. In 1323 Edward II fortified the castle. Rockingham continued in use as a royal residence until around 1485 when it started to fall into disrepair, the usurper Henry VII prefering a lodge in the park. From 1530 the castle was rebuilt by Edward Watson and his sons, being eventually purchased from the crown in 1619.

In 1643 the castle was siezed by parliamentry forces in a surprise attack. It was then fortified with an idiosyncratic set of earthworks and gun emplacements. In 1646 the keep was thrown down and parliament's troops left.

The castle was restored to the Watson family, now with the title Lord Rockingham at the Restoration. They completed the rebuilding of the domestic parts of the castle. The castle has since passed through various branches of the family to the present day. Charles Dickens wrote part of `Bleak House' while staying at the castle.

{45} Additional reference.

{46} Monitoring of drainage and other groundworks around the south-west quarter of the castle revealed two small sections of wall footings thought to represent an earlier, undated, phase of construction.

{63} Archaeological observation undertaken during the lifting of a brick floor in part of the castle prior to refurbishment of the toilet facilities. A section of stonework was uncovered that might have been part of an earlier floor although no artefacts were recovered during the investigation.

{64} Drawings, notes, measurements;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 12/143 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1992, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), K06 p.63-64 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN46686.

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<4> Gotch J.A., 1936, The Old Halls and Manor Houses of Northamptonshire, p.24 (unchecked) (Book). SNN44101.

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<8> 1999, PLAN, (unchecked) (Plan). SNN57953.

<9> ELLISON M., 1998, Photographs from Site Visit, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN52301.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Rockingham (Photographs). SNN113046.

<11> ELLISON M., 1998, Photographs from Site Visit, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN52302.

<12> FOARD G., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Rockingham (Medieval and Post Medieval), (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100473.

<13> 1615, Map of Rockingham 1615, (unchecked) (Map). SNN100477.

<14> Eagle J., 1806, Map of The Estates of The Right Honourable Lewis Richard, Lord Sondes at Rockingham, Cottingham, (unchecked) (Map). SNN100475.

<15> 1815, Map of Rockingham (NRO Map 2330), (unchecked) (Map). SNN100474.

<16> 1921, Country Life (Vol.50), p.44-75 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN30931.

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<22> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.126/Site 4 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

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<32> Brown, J., 2011, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment For A New Access Road, The Cottons, Rockingham, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN107507.

<33> Prentice, J., 2011, Archaeological Desk-Based and Building Assessment With Trial Excavation in the Walled Garden at Rockingham Castle, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN108237.

<34> Driver J.T., 2004, the Careers of Sir Ralph Hastings and Sir Guy Wolston: Two Northamptonshire Gentry as Knights of the Shire in the Parliament of 1472-5 and Servants of The Crown, p.7-20 (unchecked) (Article). SNN109354.

<35> Simmonds C., 2012, Archaeological Evaluation at Rockingham Castle, Northamptonshire March 2012, p.5; https://doi.org/10.5284/1104257 (Report). SNN109188.

<36> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<37> BROWN A.E.; TAYLOR C.C., 1974, The Earthworks of Rockingham and its Neighbourhood, p.68-79 (unchecked) (Article). SNN40063.

<38> 1878, The Archaeological Journal (35), pp. 209-241 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN15197.

<39> Rockingham Castle, (unchecked) (Note). SNN40416.

<40> CADMAN G.E., 1995, Countryside Stewardship Scheme: 1995 Consultation Responses, (unchecked) (Document). SNN40417.

<41> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958 (Map). SNN112944.

<42> Supplementary File, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN52256.

<43> 1999, Plan, (unchecked) (Plan). SNN57954.

<44> Harper, F R, 1961, Field investigators comments, F1 FRH 17-AUG-1961 (Notes). SNN113016.

<45> English Heritage, 1994, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1994, Northamptonshire), Part 30 (Report). SNN1324.

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<46> Historic England, Undated, NORTH TERRACE AND GATEWAY AT ROCKINGHAM CASTLE FROM N.W., OS61/F140/4 (Archive). SNN113068.

<47> Historic England, Undated, Labelled plan of the basement of Rockingham Castle, RCH01/082/01/172 (Archive). SNN113079.

<48> Historic England, Undated, Lantern slides, 897289 (Archive). SNN113064.

<49> Historic England, Undated, Lantern slides, BF061889 (Archive). SNN113065.

<50> Historic England, NMR Measured Drawings, NMR06 (Drawing). SNN113008.

<51> Historic England, Undated, GATEWAY AT ROCKINGHAM CASTLE FROM THE SOUTH EAST, OS61/F140/3 (Archive). SNN113067.

<52> Historic England, Undated, WEST TERRACE AT ROCKINGHAM CASTLE FROM THE NORTH WEST, OS61/F140/5 (Archive). SNN113069.

<53> Historic England, Undated, DRAWBRIDGE FOUNDATIONS AT ROCKINGHAM CASTLE FROM N.E., OS61/F140/6 (Archive). SNN113070.

<54> Historic England, Undated, Overlay to a plan of Rockingham Castle, showing building phase II, RCH01/082/01/169 (Archive). SNN113076.

<55> Historic England, Undated, Amended copy of a plan of the ground-floor of Rockingham Castle, RCH01/082/01/171 (Archive). SNN113078.

<56> Historic England, Undated, A general view from the south-west of the west front of Rockingham Castle, OP11316 (Archive). SNN113066.

<57> Historic England, Undated, Overlay to a plan of Rockingham Castle, showing building phase III, RCH01/082/01/170 (Archive). SNN113077.

<58> Historic England, Undated, INNER COURT AT ROCKINGHAM CASTLE FROM THE SOUTH WEST, OS61/F140/7 (Archive). SNN113071.

<59> Historic England, Undated, Labelled plan of the ground-floor of Rockingham Castle, RCH01/082/01/167 (Archive). SNN113075.

<60> Historic England, Undated, Oversized drawing: Labelled plan of Rockingham Castle, RCH01/082/01/168 (Archive). SNN113074.

<61> Historic England, Undated, Red Box Collection, RCH01/006 (Archive). SNN113073.

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Record last edited

Oct 24 2024 3:24PM