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Designations

• Listed Building (II*) 1287674: HANWELL CASTLE

Monument Type(s):

• WALL (Medieval - 1401 AD to 1500 AD)
• CASTLE (Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1478 AD to 2000 AD?)
• COUNTRY HOUSE (Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1478 AD to 2000 AD)
• HOUSE (Edwardian to Late 20th Century - 1903 AD? to 2000 AD?)

Summary

Country house, now three dwellings. Former great house of which only the south west tower and south range remains of a 2-storey house built round a courtyard with main entrance on west.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds:

Description

SP4343 HANWELL MAIN STREET
(South side)
24/84 Hanwell Castle
GV II*
Country house, now 3 dwellings. Former great house of which only the south-west tower and south range remains of a 2-storey house built round a courtyard with main entrance on west. Begun c.1498 for William Cope, cofferer to Henry VII. Mostly demolished in C18. East wing and restorations c.1903. Left part. Complex range incorporating C15, C19 and C20 builds. Squared coursed ironstone. Steeply pitched stone slate roof laid to diminishing courses. Stone and brick ridge stacks. Double depth plan. 2 storeys. 2-window range. Entrance porch has plank door and 4-centred wood head. Front has C20 windows with wood lintels. Rear has Tudor windows some renewed. Central part: long rectangular south range. Diaper patterned blue and red brick. Limestone dressings. Steeply pitched stone slate roof laid to diminishing courses. Brick ridge and end stacks. 2 storeys. 5-window range. Gabled porch has entrance with 4-centred doorway. Ground floor has C20 windows with wood lintels. First floor has 2- 3- and 4-light C15/C16 windows, some with King mullions and an oriel window. Tower on right. Red brick with diaper patterns in blue brick and ironstone quoins. 3 storeys. 2 corner turrets. Crenellated parapets. South side has 4-light C15/C16 windows that are on ground floor transomed. Interior not inspected but south range is noted as having 2 large kitchen fireplaces placed back to back; plain moulded stone doorways; late marble fireplaces. Tower noted as having contemporary stone fireplaces on upper floors and newel stair in north-west turret. James I visited in 1605, 1612, and 1624 Leland records the castle as a very pleasant and gallant house in c.1540. The earliest example of C15 brickwork in north Oxfordshire. The C20 addition on east is not of special architectural interest. Photography and plans in NMR. Interior not inspected.
(Buildings of England; Oxfordshire; 1974, p632; VCH; Oxfordshire; Vol IX, p114; Wood-Jones, R.B., Traditional Domestic Architecture in the Banbury Region, 1963, p164; Beesley, A., History of Banbury, 1841, pp191-2, 240)
Listing NGR: SP4363143605
(2) Not classifiable as a castle for MPP
(3) Hanwell Castle, originally Hanwell House or Hall, dates from grant of manor in 1498 to William Cope, his will makes it clear he was building or rebuilding at Hanwell. Mostly demolished C18th. Gatepiers listed Grade II.
4) Transferred to Oxon History Centre.
8-9) Transferred to Oxon History Centre.
(10) Watching brief on the rebuilding of the western boundary wall recorded the foundations of the original wall and a pentice leading to the church. The original wall was deliberately removed rather than collapsed through neglect. The pentice was tied into the wall and is therefore assumed to be original and dating to the C15th. See report for other details
12) The foundations of the original boundary wall were located as was a possible earlier building and external yard surface. The building appears to have at least two phases of flooring. The northern section of the original wall was also razed below ground level in a similar fashion to the southern section. The standing wall showed several phases of rebuild and/or repair. The 1882 OS map shows the slope of the land to the west behind the garden wall to be slightly off alignment to the wall itself and it would appear that this slope alignment corresponds to the alignment of the earlier building and may indicate that the area was originally terraced to accommodate this building.
14) Two walls and a floor surface thught to belong to the building found along the N part of the W boundary wall were uncovered. WB was successful in establishing the diameter of the building as either 3.5 or 6.5m, but the reason for it going out of use is unknown. The building would probably have been assoicated with walls which formed a gateway discovered during the restoriation of the S section of the boundary wall.
15) Assessment and supplement of report on Hanwell Castle, focusing on fireplace in southern extension to Tudor Wing. Fireplace now understood to contain mortar types, which indicate that it has been constructed, rebuilt and redesigned. Current fireplace is late C19 or C20, although the wall at rear of fireplace is older.
16) See report for detailed archaeological and architectural findings from Phases 1-15.

<1> Dept of Environment/DCMS, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Cherwell List 79: 24/84, p.36 (Index). SOX260.

<2> MPP Documents for Oxfordshire, S Lisk, 18.11.92 (Index). SOX259.

<3> Victoria County History of Oxford, Vol 9 (1969) p.113 (Serial). SOX252.

<4> Field Notes/Field Visit, J M Steane (1980). (Unpublished document). SOX261.

<6> Black and White print photographs, 1 taken by M Aston in 1973 and 1 by J Steane in 1980 (Photograph). SOX315.

<7> Slide Cabinet, 1 of castle exterior (undated), 1 taken by M Aston in 1973 (Photograph). SOX303.

<8> Additional Information in Detailed Record File, Old illustrations of castle c.1820. (Index). SOX258.

<9> English Heritage (RCHME), 1987-1989, Historic Buildings Photographic Record Card (Photograph). SOX2063.

<10> John Moore Heritage Services, 2008, An Archaeological Watching Brief at Hanwell Castle, Hanwell, Oxfordshire (Unpublished document). SOX2094.

<11> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, Vol 39 (2009) p.35 (Serial). SOX5.

<12> John Moore Heritage Services, 2010, Hanwell Castle (Second Stage), Hanwell, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SOX2540.

<13> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, SMA 41 (2011) 40 (Serial). SOX5.

<14> John Moore Heritage Services, 2011, A Further Archaeological Watching Brief at Hanwell Castle, Hanwell, Oxfordshire (Unpublished document). SOX3016.

<15> John Moore Heritage Services, 2012, Building Assessment on Hanwell Castle, South Wing, Hanwell (Unpublished document). SOX5512.

<16> John Moore Heritage Services, 2017, Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief at Hanwell Castle, Main Street, Hanwell , Oxfordshire (Digital archive). SOX5839.

Sources

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