The earthwork and structural remains of Chartley Castle, comprising of an inner and outer bailey with the remains of a 13th century castle and curtain wall. The standing remains are designated as a listed building and the whole monument is designated as a scheduled monument.
STRUCTURAL SURVEY INDICATED THAT THE ARROW LOOPS IN THE MIDDLE DRUM TOWER HAD BEEN REMODELED & THE EXTERNAL FACE REPLACED. THIS WORK MAY BE LINKED TO THE SERIES OF SEIGES IN 1264-6. MARY PROBABLY HELD IN NEARBY HALL RATHER THAN THE MEDIAEVAL CASTLE. <no source given>
IN C13 THE MOTTE AND INNER BAILEY WERE CONVERTED INTO A STONE CASTLE, A SHELL KEEP BEING BUILT ON THE MOTTE AND THE BAILEY DEFENDED BY A CURTAIN WALL WITH SEMI-DRUM TOWERS. ASHLAR MASONRY WITH A RUBBLE CORE. THE SHELL KEEP WAS 10.5M IN INTERNAL DIAMETER WITH 3.5M THICK WALLS. THE ENTRANCE FROM OUTER TO INNER BAILEY WAS PROBABLY BETWEEN TOWERS 3 AND 4 BUT NO TRACE REMAINS. ACROSS THE SE CORNER OF THE OUTER BAILEY DITCH IS A CAUSEWAY FROM WHICH A ROAD LED DOWN TO THE STAFFORD-UTTOXETER ROAD. MOTTE AND BAILEY. ON TOP OF A NATURAL HILL, THE EARLIEST CASTLE WAS A NORMAN MOTTE WITH AN INNER AND OUTER BAILEY ON THE EASILY ACCESSIBLE E SIDE OF THE MOTTE. CASTLE. THE CASTLE WAS RUINOUS WHEN VISITED BY LELAND IN 1545, BUT MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS WAS KEPT PRISONER THERE FROM JAN TO SEPT 1586.<1>
THE MOTTE WAS 18M IN DIAMETER WITH A DITCH 24M-30M WIDE, THE BOTTOM OF WHICH VARIES 7M-13M BELOW THE PRESENT TOP OF THE MOUND. RANULPH BUILT THE STONE CASTLE IN THE 1ST QUARTER OF C13. THE CURTAIN WALL OF THE INNER BAILEY HAD 5 TOWERS ALONG S AND E SIDES. THE OUTER BAILEY IS COMPLETELY DITCHED, CAUSEWAY ON SE. OUTER ENCLOSING BANK AROUND DITCHES. <2>
IN 1153 THE CASTLE PASSED FROM EARL OF CHESTER TO FERRERS FAMILY. IN 1192 CUSTODY AND REPAIRS DEVOLVED UPON THE CROWN. <3>
| --- | SST270 - Published Book: Timothy Mowl and Dianne Barr. 2009. The Historic Gardens of England: Staffordshire. page 18. |
| --- | SST3913 - Building Recording Report: Iain Soden (Northamptonshire Archaeology). 1998. Chartley Castle, Staffordshire: Archaeological Building Recording. |
| <1> | SST390 - Index: Ordnance Survey. See cards. Ordnance Survey Card Index. SK 02 NW - 1 (V.J. Burton - Ordnance Survey Field Inspector - 18-Feb-1958). |
| <2> | SST390 - Index: Ordnance Survey. See cards. Ordnance Survey Card Index. SK 02 NW - 1 (T.N.S.F.C. Volume 39 (1904-1905) pages 143-149 (by A. Scrivener)). |
| <3> | SST390 - Index: Ordnance Survey. See cards. Ordnance Survey Card Index. SK 02 NW - 1 ('Staffordshire Historical Collection' Volume 2 (1881) page 21 (by Rev. R.W. Eyton)). |
| <4> | SST109 - Graphic material: SITES AND MONUMENTS RECORD. 6:CARD 2. |
| <5> | SST2107 - Serial: University of Keele. 1966. North Staffordshire Journal of Field Studies volume 6 (1966). 'The Medieval Castles of Staffordshire' by L.M. Cantor - Page 43. |
| <6> | SST1963 - Photographic: Staffordshire County Council. 1960s onward. Staffordshire County Council Photographic Collection. various. 1-8 (1960). |
| <7> | SST144 - Aerial Photograph: National Monument Record. 1970s-1980s. National Monument Record Aerial Photograph Collection. Black and White. Oblique. AA66:2515. |
| <8> | SST7 - Photographic: 6 OF. |
| <9> | SST3723 - Designation Record: Department for Culture Media and Sport / English Heritage. Ongoing-2016. Scheduled Monument Designation Documents, Scheduled Monument Consents and Section 17 Management Agreements. AM7. |
| <10> | SST3723 - Designation Record: Department for Culture Media and Sport / English Heritage. Ongoing-2016. Scheduled Monument Designation Documents, Scheduled Monument Consents and Section 17 Management Agreements. A.M. 12 (C.A. Snowdon, 1981). |
| <11> | SST3723 - Designation Record: Department for Culture Media and Sport / English Heritage. Ongoing-2016. Scheduled Monument Designation Documents, Scheduled Monument Consents and Section 17 Management Agreements. A.M. 107 (C.A. Snowdon, 1984). |
| <12> | SST3423 - Descriptive text: SODEN I, THORNE A & BAKER T . 1998. CHARLEY. VOL 41, P 72-3. |
| <14> | SST216 - Aerial Photograph: Cambridge University. Ongoing. Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs (CUCAP). EX73 by J.K. St. Joseph (Copy Held in the HER). |