Monument record 1160/1/6 - The Great Hall, Northampton Castle

{1}Survey of 1322-3 indicates that castle contained great hall & long chamber adjacent to east & great chamber adjacent to west; in 1329 great hall repaired for justices itinerant

{2}Contemporary accounts of trial of Thomas Becket in 1164 mention The Great Hall; also Upper Chamber close to The Great Hall & Inner Chamber on the ground floor

{3}"....got off his horse at door of hall....passed through hall & into another apartment called camera or domus inferior....king was in upper chamber & messages passed back & forth between two....

{4}In 1235 floor of Great Chamber & wardrobe receive attention

{5}Floor of Great Chamber & wardrobe receive attention

{6} {7} {8} {9} Improvements to queen's apartments carried out between 1236-48

{10}Small round windows inserted over main windows in Great Hall in 1244

{11}In 1253 sheriff ordered to make five small glass windows for over great window in King's Hall & to put one glass window in queen's chamber

{12}In 1249 sheriff ordered to panel part of roof in Great Hall; also two glass windows into queen's chamber & glass window into king's wardrobe or privy; also to make privy chamber for chaplain's room near door of hall

{13}In 1251 sheriff ordered to insert painted white glass into windows of Great Hall closest to entrance of queen's chamber; also to build chair in hall

{14}In 1252-3 sheriff ordered to make painted glass window in hall opposite king's seat

{15}In 1265 king orders hall & other buildings be repaired

{16}In 1265 king orders that hall & other buildings be repaired

{17}In 1269 Sheriff ordered to complete chair for hall

{18} {19} {20} {21} In 1306 minor repairs occasioned by residence of king's sons; also new chamber with wardrobe & chimney made for king & queen at cost of £22 in 1301

{22}The Great Hall & adjacent long chamber & great chamber destroyed by fire circa 1318; estimated costs of repair in 1323

{23} {24} {25} 1329 instruction to repair great hall for sessions of judges itinerant; 1329-30 inquests were held in castle hall

{26}Inventory of 1389 includes reference to timber held in Great Hall

{27}Accounts of Thomas Becket in Great Hall during his trial

{28}Early C14th survey of castle found that Great Hall & adjacent Long Chamber & Great Chamber had been destroyed by fire in 1318

{29}Inventory of 1389 includes reference to timber held in Great Hall

{30}Second most important building in castle would have been Great Hall; on its north side was queen's chamber with king's wardrobe nearby; on either side to east & west were two other halls known as Long Chamber & Great Chamber; C14th references to Old Hall & Justice's Hall may be identical to these chambers;

{31}Hall & inner chamber & upper chamber all mentioned in accounts of Thomas Becket's trial

{32}Reference to Great Chamber in 1235

{33}Accounts of trial of Becket mention Great Hall & Inner Chamber & Upper Chamber; accounts of repairs to Great Chamber & its wardrobe in 1235; late C13th & C14th accounts of repairs to Great Hall & associated chambers include their destruction by fire in 1318 & estimated costs of repair dating to 1323

{35}Improvements to Great Hall in 1249

{36}Improvements to Great Hall ordered in 1252

{37}Possible that C12th hall with chambers above referred to in Becket's trial is actually keep; however new hall complex in use by mid C13th as documented by instructions & accounts for repair which describe building complex in detail; also documented by 1321 survey; suggests great hall & royal chambers part of same building complex & that Long Chamber was queen's to east of great hall & Great Chamber was king's & stood to west of great hall

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.334 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<2> GIGGINS B.L., 1995, Notes on Northampton Castle, 1 (Unpublished Report). SNN4034.

<3> FREEMAN, 1860, The Gentleman's Magazine (1860), p.385-88 (unchecked) (Article). SNN4348.

<4> Calendar of Pipe Rolls, 19 Henry III rot.6 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3785.

<5> Calendar of Close Rolls (undated), 1234-7/139 (unchecked) (Document). SNN2187.

<6> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 1240-45/232+249 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<7> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 1240-51/137+191+212+247 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<8> Calendar of Close Rolls (undated), 1242-47/522 (unchecked) (Document). SNN2187.

<9> Calendar of Pipe Rolls, 29 Henry III rot.8 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3785.

<10> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 1240-50/249 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<11> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 33 Henry III/memb.11 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<12> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 33 Henry III/memb.3 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<13> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 36 Henry III memb.15 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<14> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 37 Henry III memb.2 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<15> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 50 Henry III m.13 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<16> Calendar of Pipe Rolls, 51 Henry III rot.2 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3785.

<17> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 54 Henry III memb.11 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<18> ADD MS.7966 A F 30V, (unchecked) (Document). SNN48807.

<19> 1302-7, Calendar of Close Rolls (1302-7), 386+400+408 (Document). SNN3960.

<20> E101/577/2-3, E101/577/2-3 (Document). SNN48808.

<21> E101/369/11/F.44V, E101/369/11/F.44V (Document). SNN48674.

<22> MISCELLANEOUS CHANCERY INQUISITIONS, (unchecked) (Document). SNN4301.

<23> Calendar of Close Rolls (undated), 3 Edward III/M.4+9+13 (unchecked) (Document). SNN2187.

<24> Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1327-30/44 (unchecked) (Document). SNN978.

<25> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 5 Edward III m.10 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<26> SALZMAN L.F., 1967, Building in England, Down to 1540: A Documentary History, (unchecked) (Extract). SNN4147.

<27> Serjeantson R.M., 1907, The Castle of Northampton, p.4 (checked) (Article). SNN4426.

<28> Serjeantson R.M., 1907, The Castle of Northampton, p.33-34 (checked) (Article). SNN4129.

<29> ENROLLED ACCOUNTS (FOREIGN), (unchecked) (Document). SNN4138.

<30> Serjeantson R.M., 1908, The Castle of Northampton, p.56 (checked) (Article). SNN3900.

<31> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.34 (checked) (Series). SNN100370.

<32> Calendar of Close Rolls, 1234-7 138 (Document). SNN3967.

<33> Brown R.A.; Colvin H.M.; Taylor, 1963, The History of The Kings' Works (Vol.II), p.750-53 (checked) (Series). SNN3801.

<34> KNOWLES D., 1951, THE EPISCOPAL COLLEAGUES OF ARCHBISHOP THOMAS BECKET, 169-70 (Uncertain). SNN56570.

<35> Calendar of Pipe Rolls, 33 Henry III rot.16 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3785.

<36> Calendar of Liberate Rolls, 1251-60/20-1 (unchecked) (Document). SNN3497.

<37> Chapman A., Northampton Castle: A Review of The Evidence, (checked) (Unpublished Report). SNN2966.

Record last edited

Jan 26 2023 9:15AM