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Summary

Bolingbroke Castle

Full description

A castle at Bolingbroke was first recorded in 1232 and 1243 and was probably built c.1220-30 when Randulph de Blundevill returned from the crusades. The earlier castle may have been on Dewy Hill, to the north of the village. The castle consisted of a wet moat and walled enclosure defended by towers at the angles and a double towered gate house. A courtyard, hall and further buildings inside. To the south are the earthworks of the rout yard, used to shelter tented armies. The future Henry IV was born here in 1367. The castle was besieged by the Parliamentarians in the autumn of 1643 and the besiegers marched out to engage and defeat the Royalist relief column from Newark at the Battle of Winceby (see PRN42274). After the battle the castle held out until November 1643. {1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}{7}{8}{9}

N. Field and P. Losco-Bradley give a full bibliography related to the castle. {10}

Scheduling revised 16/06/1994. Renumbered SAM 22623. {11}

For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {12}

A watching brief adjacent to the castle revealed possible upcast from the construction of the moat to the north, and to the east a feature was observed which may be associated with the castle boundary bank. {13}

During a watching brief in 2002, two ditches were recorded, aligned north to south and north-west to south-east. Although no dating evidence was recovered, the relationship of the ditches to the overlying deposits suggested that the ditches were pre-sixteenth century in date. It is thought that the ditches carried water to or from the moat to the castle. {14}{15}

Recording of a vandalised arch was undertaken in 2000. {16}{17}

<1> Lincolnshire County Council, Sites and Monuments Record Card Index, TF 36 NW: M (Index). SLI2881.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Card Index, TF 36 NW: 10 (Index). SLI2344.

<3> HBMC, AM 7, SAM 88 (Scheduling Record). SLI4196.

<4> DREWETT P L AND FREKE D J, 1974, 'The Great Hall at Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire' in Medieval Archaeology, vol.18, pp.163-5 (Article in Serial). SLI526.

<5> M.W. Thompson, 1966, 'The Origins of Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire' in Medieval Archaeology, vol.10, pp.152-8 (Article in Serial). SLI533.

<6> M.W. Thompson, 1969, 'Further Work at Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire' in Medieval Archaeology, vol.13, pp.216-7 (Article in Serial). SLI534.

<7> MASSINGBERD F C, 1906, Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies’ Reports and Papers, vol.4, pp.230-46 (Article in Serial). SLI385.

<8> Graham Platts, 1985, Land and People in Medieval Lincolnshire, vol.4, pp.96-102 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1074.

<9> 1945-84, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY COLLECTION, JE52-62; LH53-60; AMU93 (Aerial Photograph). SLI173.

<10> LINDSEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 1991, BOLINGBROKE CASTLE REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY, MPP23 (Report). SLI3415.

<11> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 1994, REVISED SCHEDULING DOCUMENT 22623, - (Scheduling Record). SLI4254.

<12> Department of the Environment, 1988, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1/32 (Index). SLI7670.

<13> LINDSEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 1996, OLD BOLINGBROKE ELECTRICITY CABLE WORKS, OBC96 (Report). SLI5264.

<14> Pre-Construct Archaeology, Sept 2002, Moat Lane, Old Bolingbroke, MLOB02 (Report). SLI8441.

<15> Pre-Construct Archaeology, Sept 2002, Moat Lane, Old Bolingbroke, LCNCC 2002.396 (Archive). SLI8442.

<16> Archaeological Project Services, 2002, Bolingbroke castle, Old Bolingbroke, OBC00 (Report). SLI8449.

<17> Archaeological Project Services, 2002, Bolingbroke Castle, Old Bolingbroke, LCNCC:2002.327 (Archive). SLI8450.

Monument Types

• CASTLE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1220 AD to 1900 AD?)
• POUND (Medieval to Modern - 1220 AD to 2050 AD)
• DITCH (Post Medieval to Unknown - 1600 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)
• TILE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1599 AD)

Associated Events

• Watching brief at Moat Lane, Old Bolingbroke
• Bolingbroke Castle
• Excavation of the Great Hall at Bolingbroke Castle

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument
• Listed Building
• Conservation Area

Sources and further reading

Related records

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