More information : [SK 4484 2759] Castle [G.T.] (Remains of) Moat [G.T.] (1)
"Eustace Fitz-John .., killed in Wales in 1177 (p. 771) .. built the castle at Donington, which gave the distinguishing name to the place ... Few traces of the castle now remain ..." [See AO/59/287/5] The castle was demolished in 1216 by the King's command. "There was a chapel there ..." (2)
"The castle was situated on a north-east spur of the ridge which rises abruptly at this point from the valley of the Trent and ommanded a wide view over the flat country northward ... Although now (1926) there are no remains of the castle buildings to be seen above ground, part of the wide dry moat remains, used as gardens and filled with fruit trees ... The strategic position of the castle, guarding the ferry across the Trent,is .. excellent ... It was demolished [in 1216] It must have been repaired, however, before long; for, on 22nd May, 1266, Henry III entrusted it to Adam of Jesmond to keep ... as Adam had need of it for the defence of those parts(a) It was still standing, though in bad repair, in 1564(b) when there seems to have been a curtain wall with five towers and a decayed house within it. (3)
"The castle ... stands high upon a sandstone hill south-east of the River Trent ... The mound upon which stood the mediaeval keep is now divided into small holdings, ... The escarpment of the mound is still about 60 ft., with a counterscarp of almost the same height except on the east, where it is considerably lower, and without doubt marks the entrance to the former bailey. The base-court was probably obliterated by George, Earl of Huntingdon, who bought the castle ... of Queen Elizabeth , ' and hath quite ruinated the earth'. The outer scarp is generally of the same depth as the first, which,with the natural hillside made the work a formidable barrier. Buildings have so encroached upon the outer scarp that around its southern portion a great part is lost."
[For plan see AO/59/287/4] (4)
"During work in a garden at the northern end of the Castle mound two massive foundations were discovered, 4 ft. and 3 ft. 6 ins. wide, lying at right angles and some 14ft. apart. The southerly one was said to have a jamb. Plan and photograph in Museum [Leicester] Information from Mr. L. W. Robinson" (5)
Historical notes and low oblique A.P. showing the tree covered castle mound and the village of Castle Donington. (6)
The castle was finally demolished in 1595 by Sir George Hastings, fourth Earl of Huntingdon. (7)
[Plan & description] (8)
The area of the castle is occupied by small houses, gardens and orchards. Though extensively mutilated the earthworks seem to comprise a large, wide ditch encircling the summit of a prominent natural hill. No certain evidence of a mound as such now survives. Since they were portrayed on the 1922 edition the slopes of this ditch have been extensively mutilated on the north and west in the creation of gardens. On the east side the outer slope of the ditch appears to turn outwards and fragments of an apparent counterscarp bank are visible - those on the south side of the gap are badily mutilated.
Contrary to the description and plan given by Authy. 4 no trace of this counterscarp is visible on the north and eastern side of the castle. The northern slope is extensively mutilated by old quarries, some giving a terraced effect to the relatively
steep hillside, and, in this investigator's opinion these have been mis-identified by Authy. 4. The eastern side has been partly levelled in the gardens to a new house. No trace of an earthern or other bailey was seen in field investigation. Several walls in the enclosed area contain obviously reused stone. The only extant remains probably of the castle buildings is the stonework forming the northern most wall of a terrace of houses on the north of the enclosed area - centred at SK 4484 2762. Here, to a height of c.2.0m., the wall of these 18/19th c. brick-built houses is an irregularly coursed stone wall, very patched and uneven. At the west end is a small opening with a modern rounded arch, probably an original door. No evidence of the date of this walling was gained - it is probably the ruin shown in Nichol's view.
A 25" AM survey has been made. (9)
No change. (10)
Donington Castle was a baronial castle belonging to the Barons Halton; confiscated by the Crown, it was destroyed in 1215. Rebuilt by Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, who died in 1310, it subsequently fell into ruin. By the end of the 18th century, few traces of the castle remained. Today the remains of the castle are incorporated into the back walls of a row of cottages in Castle Hill. They consist of mutilated stone rubble walling one or two storeys in height with one blocked, round-headed doorway. (11)
SK 4485 2755. Enclosure castle at Castle Donington. The site occupies a sub-circular area about 160m in diameter defined by a pair of ditches cutting off the tip of the promontory from the plateau to the south. The outer ditch has been mostly backfilled but is still visible as an earthwork feature about 2m deep and 15m wide; in the southern part of the site it is a buried feature. The modern road known as The Hollow is a recutting of the south-western part of the outer ditch.
The inner ditch is still a major earthwork despite being infilled at vatious points along its circuit. To the south and south-east it was cut perhaps 10m below the ground surface and was at least 25m wide. On the north-east, north and west sides, the ditch was constructed by scarping the natural slopes of the promontory and building a counterscarp bank; this is visible as a prominent earthwork some 2m high and 5m wide on the north and north-east sides.
The outer ditch is separated from the inner ditch by a broad bank up to 4m above present ground level and 20m wide towards its south-western end.
The main buildings of the castle occupied the irregularly-shaped platform in the centre of the site and it is clear from documentary references and finds made in the 1940's that the platform was surrounded by a substantial curtain wall with at least five towers.
The distribution of buildings within the enclosure is unknown but a block of medieval masonry, 6m long and 1.75m high (now part of a retaining wall) is still visible and foundations of two substantial walls were seen on the north side of the site in the 1940's. A stone-lined well was recorded in 1978 which is now covered.
The castle was built in the mid-12th century but destroyed in 1215. Rebuilding began in the late-13th century but by 1565 the site had fallen into disrepair and ruins. Scheduled (RSM) No 17096. (12)
Listed by Cathcart King. (13)
The castle, a possession of the Lascys of Pontefract, passed to yhe House of Lancaster in 1311 and thence into royal hands in 1399. (14) |