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GREENWICH CASTLE

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Castle in Greenwich Park. It was constructed in 1433 on the site now occupied by the the Old Royal Observatory. This is a prominent location on a scarp edge, still known as Castle Hill in 1695. The castle was demolished when the Royal Observatory was constructed in 1675 and can be reconstructed only through contemporary illustrations and excavation. The castle was thought to originally comprise a moated tower. It was enlarged in 1525-26 to include a second tower and gate lodge. Further building work was undertaken in the early 17th century. An illustration dated to 1637 shows the castle as an elegant crenellated house, with tall brick chimneys and at least two towers. The Tudor gate house may be identifiable with a two or three storey building attached to one side of the main structure. An archaeological survey by RCHME field staff between 1993-94 located no earthworks or other features identified with the castle.

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[TQ 38847733] GREENWICH CASTLE [AT] (Site of)(1)
The castle was constructed in 1433 by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. It was originally a moated tower, but was converted by Henry VIII into a double towered residence enclosed by a wooden fence with a gate lodge. During the Commonwealth it was used as a look-out post. It was demolished in 1675 for the construction of the Royal Observatory (TQ 37 NE 17) (2)

Recorded during the RCHME Greenwich Park Survey, Sep-1993 to Feb-1994 (3-7):

The structure known traditionally as Greenwich Castle stood on the site of the Royal Observatory, a prominent location on a scarp edge still known as Castle Hill in 1695 (3a). The castle was demolished when the Royal Observatory was constructed in 1675 and can be reconstructed only through contemporary illustrations.

Webster provides a summary of legends connected with the castle and suggests four broad phases in its history (4). The original castle was a stone tower, which Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, constructed in 1433 (5). An engraving of Duke Humphrey's tower shows a ruined stone keep, but this may be a romantic fantasy without any historical authority (4). After 1447, the manor house of Duke Humphrey passed into the hands of the royal families of Lancaster and York (6).

A second phase occurred in 1525-6, when the castle was 'newly repaired and builded' (7). Henry VIII is said to have substantially enlarged the castle, adding a second tower and gate lodge (4). However, Wyngaerde's view of Greenwich Palace, dated 1558, depicts the castle in the background as a square keep with only a single tower (3b). The general accuracy of Wyngaerde's illustrations of the palace at Greenwich have been confirmed by excavation (6).

Further building works were undertaken by the Park Ranger, Lord Northampton, in the early seventeenth century. An illustration dated to 1637 shows the 'castle' as an elegant crenellated dwelling house, with tall brick chimneys and at least two towers. The Tudor gate house may be identifiable with a two or three storey building attached to one side of the main structure (4).

During the period of the Commonwealth, the castle was occupied by Parliamentarian soldiers, charged with preventing the theft of deer from the Park (4).

The site of the former castle is now occupied by the buildings of the Old Royal Observatory. No earthworks relating to the earlier structure were discovered on the slopes of Observatory Hill (3)

See survey plans at 1:1000 scale archived with record TQ 37 NE 69 (UID 610590), for general location of castle (3). (3-7)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Annotated Record Map

OS 1/1056 Date Unknown

(2) Land Use Consultants 1986 Greenwich Park : historical survey

(3) General reference

RCHME: ROYAL PARKS PROJECT: Greenwich Park Survey Sep-93 to Feb-94

(3a) Externally held archive reference

Travers S. 1695. Survey of the Manor of East Greenwich (PRO Chancery Lane MR 253)

(3b) General reference

Wyngaerde A. 1588. Grenochio (reproduced in Ref 6 Plate 1 and Ref 7 Plate 5)

(4) General reference

Webster A D. 1902. Greenwich Park; its history and associations, 11-13

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

1066-1485 2 Page(s)949

(6) by Philip Dixon 1972 Excavations at Greenwich Palace 1970-1971: an interim report

(7) by H M Colvin ... [et al] 1982 The history of the King's Works, volume 4 : 1485-1660 (Part 2)

Page(s)101-2

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