More information : [SK 4911 4713] Greasley Castle [GT] Remains of.
[SK 4912 4714] Moat [GT] Greasley Castle Farm [TI]. (1)
Greasley Castle, a fortified manor house, was called a castle from 1340 (b) when a licence to crenellate his dwelling at `Gryseleye' was granted to Nicholas de Cantelupe by Edw. III. (a) The castle and lands passed through the hands of succeeding owners; the last recorded being Sir John Manners, early 17th c. `Throsby (1797) states that "the mansion of Nicholas de Cantelupe ... is totally destroyed except a plain wall or two." `The remains of the house, including a wall almost 5ft thick and a 14th c. square-headed window, are incorporated in the farm buildings [of Greasley Castle Farm]. Trial excavations, in the summer of 1933, disclosed part of the foundations of a round tower, 20ft in diameter, at the NW corner of the building.
No sign of foundations was found at the NE corner over at a depth of nearly 6 feet, but broken 17th c. (kitchen) pottery was found at a
depth of 3'6" and below. This discovery and Thorsby's statement about the remains of the mansion seems to suggest a date about 1700 as the probable time at which Greasley was abandoned and its destruction begun'. (a) (b) (2).
Manorial stronghold, "Greasley-Seven miles north-west from Nottingham are the ruins of Greasley Castle, built amid earthen defences. A length of vallum on the south of the building, a fosse at right angles, and two other ramparts apparently formed the boundaries of two courts. South-west of the castle is a long length of rampart; at the west end it returns north for a distance of 300ft and at its eastern extremity is a similar return, the angle thus formed is moated and contains a series of parallel hollows. This was no doubt the manorial fish stew and though high and dry on a sloping hillside there is evidence that water once flowed from this spring-fed stew-pond. The rampart of earth south-east is high enough to have held back the water to fill the four stews, though the base of them is 5ft higher than that of the moat". (3)
History of Greasley Castle. (4)
Remains of moat and walling. (5)
O.S. published names confirmed. Recent alterations to farm buildings have discovered hitherto unknown architectural details (a). The north, west and east ranges of the farm buildings to the east of Greasley Castle Farmhouse - incorporate walling of the Md. building. The northernmost wall is formed of irregularly-coursed stone, c1.5m thick and c2.0m high. At its western end are the remains of a tower visible by its abutments against the walling and the remains of a worked stone blocked segmental arch. The arch has been supported by modern brickwork covered in stucco. In the modern brick of the gable of the farm building at this corner are a reused two-light mullioned window and an ornamental stone star. The walling continues for a short distance from this corner along the western wall. There appear to be the remains of the jambs of an entrance near to the abutment of the tower in this length of walling but the walling has possibly been rebuilt. At the north-east corner is the western abutment of a tower but the walling is in very poor condition. A rectangular building forming the east side of the farm buildings is built of reused stone but incorporates short lengths of original walling in its eastern wall. At SK 4911 4711, in this wall, recent alterations have revealed a fine two-centre, Early English arched entrance with worn steps and, to the south, the remains of three trefoil-cusped window heads. The other farm-buildings are of modern brick.
The remains of a dry moat are visible on the north of the buildings. It is c1.5m deep and flat bottomed. Building debris has been tipped into it within the past year. No evidence of the moat's continuation was seen. From the northern corners of the moat runs a large flat-topped bank, averaging 9.0m in width and 1.5m high, forming an irregularly four-sided enclosure. There are no indications of a ditch on the north and east sides but an outer ditch, obscured by a hedgerow, is visible on the south and west. At its northwest corner the bank appears to have abutted on the Md. churchyard - visible within the modern wall as a raised area. The western half of the northern side is mutilated and appears to have been incorporated into later enclosures. This main bank is non-defensive and apparently enclosed the outlying buildings and domestic structures of the manor. In its south-eastern corner is a complex series of fishponds, now dry, with connecting sluices in the extreme south-east corner. At the southwest corner of the ponds there is some slight mutilation for a drain from the present farmyard. The sites of apparent buildings can be seen elsewhere in the enclosure and on the east of the present farmyard is the site of a building, with a dry pond to the south, the whole bounded by a bank with outer ditch - apparently the `two courts' mentioned by Authy. 3.
See A0/59/394/4 - Walling from the north-east.
A 25" AM survey has been made. (6)
The features are still as described in 1959 with the following
exceptions. Realignment of the main road on the north has meant removal of part of the outer bank of the moat NE of the farm
buildings. Some of the earthworks SE of these buildings have been flattened or filled about a new barn. To the south, east of where the bank is bisected by a track, part of the outer ditch has been obliterated by cattle tread. The east end of the old wall (nearest in the photo) fell but has been restored.
Published 25" surveys (1962 & 70) revised. (7)
Remains of castle c1341. Altered C19 and C20. Rebuilt with additions, late C19. Grade II. (Full account in Listed Buildings volume). (8)
Included in English Heritage list of relic gardens. (9)
SK 491 471. Greasley Castle. Scheduled no. NT/34. (10)
SK 49094705. Greasley Castle. Scheduling amended. (11)
Listed by Cathcart King. (12) |