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Summary

The keep of the medieval Southampton Castle was rebuilt in 1805 as a Gothic-style mansion by the Marquis of Lansdowne. The mansion, known as Lansdowne Castle, was demolished in 1818.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• HER backup file (new series): SOU 609  Paper and digital, etc - not yet LibraryLinked
• Old Southampton SMR No/Backup file: SU 4111 SE 144  

Monument Type(s):

• FOLLY (Built 1805, Post Medieval - 1805 AD to 1818 AD)
• TOWN HOUSE (Built 1805, Post Medieval - 1805 AD to 1818 AD)

Full description

[9]: May Thomas, 1810. “….we…took a view of the Castle, belonging to the Marquis of Lansdown. The Tower and upper part of the Building have a very fine appearance as you view it from Itchen Ferry and other places without the Town, but when you approach near, the tout-ensemble has a poor appearance, the lower part is not nearly finished, it is situated in the worst part of the Town, very confined ….. The View, however, from the Upper Rooms and especially from the Top of the Tower ….”.

[8]: VCH 1908. Land purchased 1804 to build Lansdowne Castle.

[1] in [2]: The keep of the medieval Southampton Castle was rebuilt in 1805 as a "Gothick" folly by the then Marquis of Lansdowne. The folly was demolished in 1818-20 (see ref).

[7]: A mock-Gothic castellated mansion, built by the Marquis of Lansdowne in 1805 and demolished in 1818. (See frontispiece.)

SOU 145 (Excavation and Watching Bief at Lansdowne Hill (Castle Mound) in 1959 and 1960):
[3] in [2] (also [4]): Probably over 4.6m of the top of the motte of Southampton Castle had been removed (in the 19th century - IP). Three features in the surface of the motte were probably early 19th century in date and associated with Lansdowne Castle; they were overlain by deposits probably associated with the demolition of Lansdowne Castle.

SOU 609 (Watching Brief on Lansdowne Hill between 1960 and 1962):
[5][6]: Two lengths of stone wall, one of reused stone with brick on the inner face; both are thought to be part of the 19th century Lansdowne Castle.

SCC HER 19/11/09: It is not known to what extent, if at all, Lansdowne Castle incorporated remains of the medieval castle. See MSH3421 for medieval and other earlier buildings on the castle motte.
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SOU 1528 (archaeological watching brief at Castle Chambers, Lansdowne Hill in 2010):
[10]: Trench 2, inside building. Earliest evidence was a N-S brick wall, with a possible return to east. This survived to 0.7m high, with a footing c0.65m high, including granite. The wall was of red bricks in lime mortar, the bricks perhaps 17-18th century. Wall butted by deep post-medieval deposits; three such deposits were found. Finds from the earliest deposit included a post-medieval tile, 2 fragments of possible Tudor brick, limestone pieces (Bembridge or Quarr, and Purbeck), and a large limestone block possibly of Purbeck stone, perhaps a pillar base.

The brick wall post-dates the selling off of the castle in 1618. It was perhaps part of the Marquis of Lansdowne’s early 19th century gothic castle (although the bricks appear to have been of earlier date, so uncertain, HER). The deep deposits may been backfills of a cellar. They perhaps indicate the presence of the ditch around the west side of the castle mound (MSH3403 - see MSH4875).
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Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESH145 - Excavation and Watching Bief at Lansdowne Hill (Castle Mound) in 1959 and 1960 (Ref: SOU 145)
• ESH609 - Watching Brief on Lansdowne Hill between 1960 and 1962 (Ref: SOU 609)
• ESH1992 - Watching brief at Castle Chambers, Lansdowne Hill in 2010 (Ref: SOU 1528)

Related records

Associated Links: None recorded

If you have any feedback or new information about this record, please email the Southampton HER (her@southampton.gov.uk).

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