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Summary

Somerton Castle, Boothby Graffoe

Full description

60738
Antony Bek, Bishop of Durham, received a licence to crenellate in 1281 from Edward I. The castle was built in the most up-to-date style of the time, that of the Welsh castles. It is quadrangular, with circular towers at the angles, curtain walls, and surrounded by a moat. The size was 330 by 180 feet. In 1309 Antony Bek gave a gift of Somerton Manor to Edward II, himself having received it from his mother, Eva De Grey, 30 years earlier. Some repairs were carried out in 1323-26, but when the castle was surveyed on the accession of Edward III the buildings were in a poor condition. In 1328 the castle was granted to John De Roos for life for a rent of £10 per annum, but 6 years later the King took it back and granted the constableship of Somerton to John Crabbe, a position he held until his death in 1351-52. King John I of France was confined here after being taken prisoner at Poitiers in 1356. Of the original building only the south-east tower with three storeys and a conical roof, and the ground floors of the north-east and north-west towers. The north-west tower was mostly demolished in 1849, but the remains of all four circular towers were described in 1856.
In 1601 the castle is recorded as being almost completely ruinous, except for the south-eastern tower which stood almost to full height. Attached to the south-eastern tower is the south front, extended by a wing built in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century by the Disney family. More curtain wall is thought to survive attached to the south-western tower. The L-shaped wing was built in about 1660. The castle seems to have been Crown property until the Victorian period. The site is a scheduled monument (LI64) and includes three listed buildings. For the full listing descriptions and the scheduling details please refer to the National Heritage List for England. {1}{3}{7}{8}{9}{10}
It is suggested that the moated site to the south of castle was a walled 'grange' mentioned in a survey of 1279, pre-dating the castle, belonging to the De Grey manor. It is also suggested that it was where the Lord's dues were stored, including crops, foodstuffs and livestock. {11}
Part of a Cistercian ware vessel in the form of a lady carrying a basket, dating to the sixteenth century, was found at Somerton Castle (SK954 587). {12}{13}
The castle remains were converted to a farmhouse in the nineteenth century. {14}
Two areas within the castle grounds were investigated through a geophysical survey carried out in September 2008. The first area, located on the south lawn, in the southernmost part of the area bounded by the outer moat, produced a number of anomalies, which are thought to represent buried structural remains, possibly including a demolished entrance building. The second area lay within an orchard, adjacent to the extant northeast tower. The survey in the latter area appears to have located the lines of the demolished east and north curtain walls. {15}{16}

Somerton Castle, Boothby Graffoe. Partially extant 16th century farmstead. Regular courtyard with multiple regular yards. The farmhouse is detached from the main working complex. There has been a partial loss (less than 50%) of traditional buildings. Located within a Church and/or Manor farm group. Large modern sheds are located to the side of the site. {17}

<01> OS CARD INDEX, SK 95 NE:1,1961, JB (Index). SLI2398.

<02> HBMC, 1930, AM 7, SAM 64 (Scheduling Record). SLI4069.

<03> Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram, 1989, Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition), - (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1062.

<04> BLAGG T M, 1933, TRANS THOROTON SOC, P49-60 (Article in Serial). SLI604.

<05> BLAGG T M, 1933, TRANSACTIONS OF THE THOROTON SOCIETY, - (Graphic Material). SLI2001.

<06> J.K.S. St Joseph, 1945-79, Cambridge University Collection, BR90; EU1; AWR78 (Aerial Photograph). SLI175.

<07> Allen Brown, R., Colvin, H. M. and Taylor, A. J., 1963, THE HISTORY OF THE KINGS WORKS, VOL 2, PP838-9 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI930.

<08> William White, 1856, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire - Second Edition, page 334 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI886.

<09> Newark Archaeological and Local History Society, 1968, Notes by Newark Archaeological and Local History Society for a visit on 6/6/68, - (Unpublished Document). SLI9319.

<10> SMR FILE, SK 95 NE:B,C (Index). SLI2918.

<11> Ruddock, J.G., 1980, Boothby Graffoe and Somerton Castle, - (Bibliographic Reference). SLI9320.

<12> SMR FILE, SK 95 NE:AN (Index). SLI2918.

<13> 1976, CITY AND COUNTY MUSEUM COLLECTION 1976, LM 86.76 (Artefact). SLI50.

<14> Department of the Environment, Dec 1983, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 7/2 (Index). SLI6099.

<15> Grid Nine Geophysics, Feb 2009, Archaeological Geophysical Survey Report. Somerton Castle, Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire, - (Report). SLI12659.

<16> Grid Nine Geophysics, Feb 2009, Archaeological Geophysical Survey Report. Somerton Castle, Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire, - (Archive). SLI12660.

<17> English Heritage, 2015, English Heritage Farmsteads Project, 6415 (Digital Archive). SLI15702.

Monument Types

• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FARMSTEAD (Medieval to Modern - 1500 AD? to 2050 AD)
• FINDSPOT (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1500 AD to 1600 AD)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1500 AD to 1600 AD)

Associated Events

• Aerial photograph of Somerton Castle and surrounding area, 1969
• Aerial photographs of Somerton Castle and surrounding area, 1948-50
• Aerial photographs of Somerton Castle, 1999
• Geophysical survey at Somerton Castle

Protected Status

• Listed Building
• Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

Related records

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