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SAUVEY CASTLE

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Medieval ringwork and bailey castle built in reign of Stephen (1135-54) including surrounding ditch and dam surviving as earthworks. Stone foundations of original buildings and curtain wall. Mentioned in 1216, 1226 and in 1246, it was probably ruinous in the 14th century. The castle consists of two enclosures; a rectangular bailey measuring 100 metres by 70 metres on the western side, and a smaller oval enclosure measuring 60 metres by 40 metres on the east. The surface of the bailey is flat with a slight inner bank on the west and south sides; a low mound with depressions on the north-east side represents the location of a guardhouse. To the east, the smaller enclosure is slightly higher than the bailey and contained the original stone castle which can be seen exposed in several places, especially near the entrance. The surrounding ditch varies between 20 metres wide on the west side, opening out to a 60 metre valley on the east. Situated to the south east is an earth bank, 6 metres high, which dammed the valley. Sauvey Castle has an unusual plan with few parallels nationally. Scheduled as a Ringwork and Bailey.

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[Centred at: SK 78680525] Sauvey Castle [GT] (Site of)
Moat [GT] (1)

"Sauvey Castle...was a place of importance in the...reign of King John, and was ultimately connected with the King's forest of Rutland...The custody of Sauvey Castle was generally granted to one of the King's foresters, and was for many years held by the family of Nevill..." From 1276 onwards Sauvey Castle ceased to be a castle in the proper sense of the word and was either allowed to go to ruin or demolished. "The term manor as applied to Sauvey is wrongly used, but probably the King's manor of Withcote, with Sauvey thrown in, is the true meaning of the expression...

...The remains of the site of the castle are described in V.C.H, the writer, however, had evidently never heard of Sauvey Castle as a mediaeval stronghold, and confounds the somewhat scanty and perplexing remains with those of an early hill-fort, remarking rather naturally upon the unusual situation ... There are no remains of buildings and it is certainly doubtful whether the castle was ever fortified with stone walls, although...we know that some of the buildings were of stone." (2)

'Sauvey Castle'; Castle Hill - "Seldom is a fortress found in such a position, and the thought is suggested that possibly it served as a camp or refuge, partially hidden amid its surroundings." [Here follows description and measurements] Described as a Class B earthwork, (i.e. Hill Fort). (3)

Sauvey Castle was built by the Bassets who were the founders of Launde Priory (fd c 1125) - list of governors from 1215-60. "It appears that in the Barons' Wars......it was a fort of great trust and importance. Soon after which wars the said castle, it may be presumed, was demolished". (4)

This feature is located on a spur of marlstone between two converging stream valleys. A dam to the SE evidently provided a broad sheet of water extending from the NW around the eastern end to the SW. A rock-cut ditch isolates the east end, and here foundations of stone buildings and a curtain wall are evident.

A second rock cutting further west isolates a bailey area, defended within by a high earthen rampart. No traces of a stone wall can be seen here so presumably it was enclosed by a wooden stockade.
See 25" survey, sketched illustration and panoramic photos. (5)

Sauvey Castle was built during the reign of Stephen. In 1216, Henry III ordered its surrender to the Earl of Aumale, who retained it until a royal order to surrender Sauvey and Rockingham was given in 1217. Aumale acted against the King's wishes, and attempted to fortify Sauvey, so that it was not until 1220 that Sauvey and Rockingham were surrendered. The castle's later history is connected with the adjacent royal forest. In 1226, it was delivered by royal command to Hugh de Neville, the king's forester. From 1246, it lost its prominence as a royal site, and by C15th it had been demoted to the status of a subsidiary property of Withcote.

Sauvey Castle occupies a low, natural promontory flanked on either sides by rivers with a ditch at the western end. The castle consists of two enclosures; a rectangular bailey measuring 100m x 70m on the western side, and a smaller oval enclosure measuring 60m x 40m on the east. The surface of the bailey is flat with a slight inner bank on the west and south sides; a low mound with depressions on the north-east side represents the location of a guardhouse. To the east, the smaller enclosure is slightly higher than the bailey and contained the original stone castle which can be seen exposed in several places especially near the entrance. The surrounding ditch varies between 20m wide on the west side, opening out to a 60m valley on the east. Situated to the south-east is an earth bank, 6m high, which dammed the valley. Sauvey Castle has an unusual plan with few parallels nationally and is considered as a ringwork and bailey.
Scheduled (RSM) No. 17033. (6)

Listed by Cathcart King. (7)

In 1244 Henry III ordered the sheriff of Leicestershire to erect a chapel within the castle measuring 40 feet by 20 feet. It was to be made of wood from Rockingham Forest and was to have a roof made of slates from the stables within the castle which had collapsed . In 1289 it was discovered that the keeper of Rockingham Forest had removed timber lead and stone from Sauvey Castle to Rockingham Castle, and in 1373, further removals of stone by the keeper are noted. It is safe to assume it had been abandoned by that time. (8)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1904.

( 2) Associated Architectural Societies' reports and papers [Lincoln, York, Northampton, Bedford, Worcester, Leicester and Sheffield ]

36, (1), 1921 Page(s)132, 136-7

( 3) edited by William Page 1907 The Victoria history of the county of Leicester, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England (J. Charles Nall) 1907 Page(s)249-50

(4) General reference

History and Antiquities of Leicestershire 2 pt 1 1795 394 (J. Nichols)

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

B H Seaman/03-FEB-1972/Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 6) Scheduled Monument Notification

English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 10-JUN-1992

( 7) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

1 Page(s)255

(8) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 2 : the Middle Ages

Page(s)829

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