Mackworth Castle |
| Hob Uid: 313368 | |
Location :
Derbyshire
Amber Valley
Mackworth
|
| Grid Ref : SK3133037830 |
| Summary : The standing and buried remains of a 15th century gatehouse, which formerly led to the courtyard of the fortified manor house known as Mackworth Castle. The standing remains comprise the facade and part of the outer side walls of a two storey sandstone building. On the ground floor is a round arched central gateway which, originally, would have been flanked by side chambers containing staircases, leading to the guard chamber on the upper floor. The remains of these staircases, together with the floors and wall foundations of the side chambers, will survive as buried features beneath the relatively modern brick outbuildings now flanking the gate. The medieval floor of the gate passage will also survive as a buried feature beneath the modern farm track which passes through the gate. The surviving walls of the first floor guardchamber exhibit evidence of a fireplace and show that the room was lit by straight headed, two light windows. The roof is crenellated and has corner turrets. The facade of the building is decorated above the gateway with carved stone heads and waterspouts. |
More information : [SK 31293780] MACKWORTH CASTLE [GT] (Remains of). (1)
Only the front wall of the gatehouse survives, erected between 1495 and 1500. (2) G.Bailey classifies the site as a mansion rather than a castle, and mentions indications of foundations of buildings in the adjacent field. Scheduled. Extensive foundations are visible on A.P's at 'A' SK 31353794 and possibly at 'B' SK 31273801. Three sides of a rectangular earthwork can be traced at 'C' SK 31263786. (2-6)
Structural remains, surely of a castle gatehouse, survive at SK 31333783; see G.P's A0/66/28 1 & 2. Lower lying amorphous building sites at A & B are on terraced platforms with drainage ditches, and C is a rectangular, ditched platform adjoining the road, obviously a farmstead enclosure; none are related to the castle and indicate only the contraction of Mackworth (see SK 33 NW 8). There are no surviving earthworks. (7)
The front and side walls of a two-storeyed, ashlar gatehouse are all that remains of Mackworth Castle. Grade 2*. (8)
The fortified manor house known as Mackworth Castle may have been built after August 1404. The site may previously have been occupied by timber-built complexes dating back to the 11th century. (9)
Listed as a strong house by Cathcart King. (11) |