Beeston Castle
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| Beeston Castle | |
 The gate to the inner bailey of Beeston Castle, with a modern bridge for visitors |
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  Shown within Cheshire
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| Building information | |
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| Town | Beeston, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Client | Ranulph de Blondeville |
| Construction start date | c. 1220 |
| Style | Bailey castle |
Beeston Castle is a castle in Beeston, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ537593), perched on a rocky sandstone crag 350 feet (110 m)[1] above the Cheshire Plain. It was built in the 1220s by Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester, (1170–1232), on his return from the Crusades. In 1237, Henry III took over the ownership of Beeston, and it was kept in good repair until the 16th century, when it was considered to be of no further military use, although it was pressed into service again in 1643, during the English Civil War. The castle was partly demolished in 1646, to prevent its further use as a stronghold. During the 18th century the site was used as a quarry.
It is rumoured that treasure belonging to Richard II lies undiscovered in the castle grounds, but the many searches that have been carried out have failed to find any trace of it. The castle, now in ruins, is a Grade I listed building[2] and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[3] It is owned by English Heritage.[4]
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[edit] Prehistory
Beeston crag is one of a chain of rocky hills stretching across the Cheshire Plain. Archaeologists have discovered Neolithic flint arrow heads on the crag, as well as the remains of a Bronze Age community, and of an Iron Age hill fort.[4] The siting of the castle's outer bailey walls was chosen to take advantage of the fortifications remaining from the earlier Iron Age rampart.[5]
[edit] Design
Beeston was built by Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester, as an impregnable stronghold and a symbol of power. In medieval documents the castle is described as Castellum de Rupe, the Castle on the Rock. It was one of two major castles built by Ranulph in the 1220s, shortly after his return from the Fifth Crusade, the other being Bolingbroke in Lincolnshire.[6] Unlike many other castles of the period, Beeston does not have a motte as its last line of defence. Instead the natural features of the land together with massive walls, strong gate houses, and carefully positioned towers made the baileys themselves the stronghold. The defences consisted of two parts. Firstly, a small inner bailey, or fortified wall, on the summit of the hill, with a sheer drop on three sides and a defensive ditch up to 30 feet (9 m) deep in places cut into the rock on the fourth side. Secondly, an outer bailey was built on the lower slopes, with a massive gatehouse protected by a 16 feet (5 m) wide and 10 feet (3 m) deep ditch.[7]
The outer bailey was roughly rectangular, with 6 feet (2 m) thick walls faced in sandstone and infilled with rubble. The walls, parts of which still remain, contain a number of D-shaped towers, an innovation in English castles at that time. The towers allowed defenders to fire across the walls as well as forwards, and their open-backed design meant that they would not offer cover to any attackers who gained access to the outer bailey. The inner bailey was situated on the rocky summit at the western end of the crag.[7]
To provide the castle's inhabitants with a supply of fresh water two wells were dug into the rock, one of them, at 370 feet (113 m) deep,[1] one of the deepest castle wells in England.[5] Ranulph de Blondeville himself is thought to have been responsible for the castle's design, inspired by the fortifications he had seen during his time crusading in the Holy Land, but he did not live to see its completion.[5]
[edit] Royal castle
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Although most of the defences were in place by the time of Ranulph's death in 1232, there were no living quarters, and neither were there on the death of Ranulph's successor John in 1237. John died without a male heir, which allowed King Henry III to take over the Earldom of Cheshire. Henry enlarged Beeston Castle during his wars with Wales, and used it as a prison for Welsh captives.[1] However, no attempt was made to equip the castle as a permanent residence with halls and chambers. Garrisons were probably housed in wooden structures within the outer bailey.[7] In 1254 Henry gave Beeston, together with other lands in Cheshire, to his son Prince Edward. He also gave the title Earl of Chester to the prince, a title that has been conferred on the heir to the throne of England ever since. Edward was crowned king of England in 1272, and completed the conquest of Wales. Beeston was kept in good repair and improved during Edward's reign, and throughout the 14th century. However, by the 16th century, the castle was considered to be of no further use to the English Crown, and in 1602 it was sold to Sir Hugh Beeston of Beeston Hall.[7] There have been persistent rumours of a treasure hidden by Richard II somewhere in the castle grounds. Richard is supposed to have hidden part of his personal wealth at Beeston on his journey to Chester in 1399, before boarding a ship to Ireland to suppress a rebellion there. On his return, Richard was deposed by Henry, Duke of Lancaster, the future Henry IV, and his treasure is said to have remained undiscovered. Many searches have been carried out, most of them focusing on the deep well in the inner bailey, but nothing has ever been found. The rumour of hidden treasure may not be well-founded, as Henry IV is recorded as having recovered Richard's gold and jewellery from its various hiding places.[5] [edit] Civil warDuring the English Civil War, many neglected castles were pressed into service. Beeston was seized on 20 February 1643 by parliamentary forces commanded by Sir William Brereton. The walls were repaired and the well was cleaned out. During 1643 part of the royal army of Ireland landed at Chester. On 13 December 1643 Captain Thomas Sandford and eight soldiers from that army crept into Beeston at night (possibly aided by treachery) and surprised the castle governor, Captain Thomas Steele, who was so shaken by the event that he surrendered on the promise that he would be allowed to march out of the castle with honours. Steele was tried and shot for his failure to hold the castle.[8] The Royalists survived a siege by parliamentary forces from November 1644 until November 1645, when their lack of food forced them to surrender. The castle was partially demolished in 1646, to prevent its further use as a stronghold.[2] [edit] Later historyDuring the 18th century, quarrying was carried out in the castle grounds, and the gatehouse leading into the outer bailey was demolished to build a track for the stones to be removed from the site.[5] In 1840, the castle was purchased by John Tollemache, 1st Baron Tollemache, at that time the largest landowner in Cheshire, as part of a larger estate.[9] In the mid-19th century the castle was the site of an annual two-day fete, raising money for local widows and orphans. The event attracted over 3,000 visitors a day.[7] [edit] Present dayThe castle is owned by English Heritage,[10] and although in ruins, enough of the walls and towers are still in place to provide a clear picture of how it would have looked in its prime. It is open to visitors and has a small museum and visitor's centre. A lodge house was built by Tollemache in the 19th century, and was expanded in the 20th century. The lodge is two storeys high, with two circular towers either side of a central archway.[11] The castle is a Grade I listed building,[2] and the lodge is Grade II listed.[11] Beeston offers one of the most spectacular views of any castle in England, stretching across eight counties from the Pennines in the east to the Welsh mountains in the west.[12] |
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[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Fry, The David and Charles Book of Castles, p. 186.
- ^ a b c Images of England: Beeston Castle. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ Beeston Castle: Sources. Pastscape. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ a b Beeston Castle. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
- ^ a b c d e Hickey, Julia (2005). Beeston: Castle of the Rock. TimeTravel-Britain.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ Fry, The David and Charles Book of Castles, p. 191.
- ^ a b c d e Beeston Castle: Information for Teachers (PDF). English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ Dore, The Civil Wars in Cheshire, p. 33.
- ^ Peckforton Hills Local Heritage: Peckforton Castle (accessed 18 March 2008)
- ^ Beeston Castle. Pastscape.org.uk. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
- ^ a b Images of England: Beeston Castle Lodge. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ Beeston Castle: Background Information. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ Ormerod, History of the County Palatine and City of Chester
[edit] Bibliography
- Dore, R. N. (1966). The Civil Wars in Cheshire: (Volume 8 of A History of Cheshire edited by J. J. Bagley). Cheshire Community Council.
- Fry, Plantagenet Somerset (1980). The David & Charles Book of Castles. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7976-3.
- Ormerod, G.; (ed. Helsby T.) (1882). History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, 2nd edition.
[edit] Further reading
- Osborne, K. (1995). Beeston Castle. English Heritage. ISBN 1-85074-541-2.
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