Summary

The possible site of Coventry Castle, probably built in the late 11th century, lying in the area between Bayley Lane, Earl Street, High Sreet and Broadgate.

Monument Type(s):

• CASTLE (11th Century to Earlier Medieval - 1088 AD to 1180 AD)

Protected Status

• Conservation Area: Hill Top Conservation Area
• Conservation Area: High Street Conservation Area

Full description

1> Documents...are clear...in that [the castle site] lies between Broadgate on the W, the Benedictine Priory on the N, the Priory St./Bayley Lane line to the E and Earl St. to the S…

2> Some think that [the castle] stood in the Cheylesmore district, and not far from the Manor House…; others think that it stood near the site of St.Mary's Hall, and that Bayley Lane was the bailey protecting it.

3> The [Cheylesmore] Manor House but at one time called the Cheylesmore Castle, built to take the place of the Earl's Castle which was partly in ruins when King Stephen and Earl Ranulph had a quarrel on the site. The Queen Isabella wrote a letter patent on May 7th 1344 from 'Castle Rising'.

4> The Norman castle was partly destroyed by an attack by King Stephen and his army, when Earl Gernoys, the 4th Earl of Chester, released him from prison in Lincoln. It is thought that it was restored again for it is mentioned by the 5th Earl of Chester, Earl Hugh Kevilock/Cyvelock, in 1180 … 'coming from the burial ground of St Michael's to the Broad Gate of my castle'.

<1> Soden, Iain, 2005, Coventry: The Hidden History, 43 (TEXT). SCT1116.

<2> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol. XXVI No.325 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<3> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol.XXIX No. 361 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<4> J. B. Shelton, 1949, The Story of Twenty-Two Years Excavations in Coventry, p.36 (-MANUSCRIPT). SCT1614.

<5> University of Birmingham, 1989, The medieval site at Coventry, Bayley Lane: An Assessment of the potential of the site for work on Environmental Archaeology, and in particular Archaeobotony (--POST EXCAVATION ASSESSMENT REPORT). SCT1586.

<6> T. F. Tickner, 1922, Coventry Castle (--ARTICLE). SCT2232.

Description of possible location of Coventry Castle

<7> iccoventry.co.uk, Unknown, Kings of the Castles - Coventry Castle (-WEBPAGE). SCT2234.

Summary of history of Coventry Castle

<8> Mark Singlehurst, 1991, Coventry Castle (-NOTEBOOK). SCT2235.

Notes on the history of Coventry Castle

Sources and Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECT399 - Observations at Bayley Lane

Related records

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