Fillongley Castle

Last updated
Fillongley Castle
Fillongley, England
Warwickshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fillongley Castle
Coordinates 52°28′42″N1°35′22″W / 52.47843°N 1.58945°W / 52.47843; -1.58945
Grid reference grid reference SP00109848
Type Motte and bailey castle, then a fortified manor house
Site information
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionRuined
Site history
Built
  • Castle Hills: c.1135
  • Castle Yard: c.1135
In use
  • Castle Hills: c.1135 - 13th century
  • Castle Yard: c.1135 - 15th century
MaterialsTimber and later stone masonry

Fillongley Castle was a motte and bailey castle and later a fortified manor house in Fillongley in Warwickshire, England. Today, only earthworks and partial ruins exist. [1]

Contents

The Castle Yard site has been a scheduled ancient monument since 1951. [2] The Castle Hill or Hills site has been a scheduled ancient monument since 1925. [3]

History

Castle Hills

The first castle at Fillongley, formerly known as Fillungeleye Castle, was located at Castle Hills and was constructed from timber with a moat around 1135 and was abandoned by the 13th century, probably before 1272. [4] It was known as Old Fillongley during the reign of Henry III (1216-1272). [1]

Castle Yard

The second castle, located in Castle Yard, was probably a fortified manor house (also with a moat), held by the de Hastings family and built around the same time, c.1135. [1]

In February 1300/1 his son John Hastings (1262–1313), Baron Bergavenny, had licence to crenellate his "manor and town of Fillongley in Warwickshire". [5] He was buried at the Greyfriars in Coventry. The manor house was still standing during the reign of Edward III (1327–1377), but was unoccupied by the de Hastings. In 1389, it passed to the Beauchamp family holding the Earl of Warwick title and was repurposed into a manor house during the 14th century before being abandoned during the 15th century, [6] with stone from the castle being used to repair buildings within the village of Fillongley. [6]

Most of the surviving ruins of Fillongley Castle have remained unchanged since at least the 19th century and have been owned by Bonds Hospital Charity since 1980. [7] The site of the castle had become overgrown by c.2012, so the ruins were sprayed with Murcam, which also led to partial habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenilworth</span> Market town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England

Kenilworth is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, 6 miles (10 km) south-west of Coventry, 5 miles (8 km) north of Warwick and 90 miles (140 km) north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the River Avon 2 miles (3 km) north-east of the town. At the 2021 Census, the population was 22,538. The town is home to the ruins of Kenilworth Castle and Kenilworth Abbey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarrendon</span> Human settlement in England

Quarrendon or Quarrendon Leas is a medieval English village near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, which has been depopulated since the 16th century and is now a scheduled monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meriden, West Midlands</span> Human settlement in England

Meriden is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England. Historically, it is part of Warwickshire and lies between the cities of Birmingham and Coventry. It is located close to the North Warwickshire district border within a green belt of the countryside known as the Meriden Gap and is in the ecclesiastical parish of the Diocese of Coventry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirby Muxloe Castle</span> Fortified manor house in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, England

Kirby Muxloe Castle, also known historically as Kirby Castle, is a ruined, fortified manor house in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, England. William, Lord Hastings, began work on the castle in 1480, founding it on the site of a pre-existing manor house. William was a favourite of King Edward IV and had prospered considerably during the Wars of the Roses. Work continued quickly until 1483, when William was executed during Richard, Duke of Gloucester's, seizure of the throne. His widow briefly continued the project after his death but efforts then ceased, with the castle remaining largely incomplete. Parts of the castle were inhabited for a period, before falling into ruin during the course of the 17th century. In 1912, the Commissioners of Work took over management of the site, repairing the brickwork and carrying out an archaeological survey. In the 21st century, the castle is controlled by English Heritage and open to visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Warwickshire</span> Aspect of history

This is about the history of the county Warwickshire situated in the English Midlands. Historically, bounded to the north-west by Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the east, Worcestershire to the west, Oxfordshire to the south and Gloucestershire to the south-west. Areas historically part of Warwickshire include Coventry, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield and much of central Birmingham including Aston and Edgbaston. These became part of the metropolitan county of West Midlands following local government re-organisation in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water Orton</span> Human settlement in England

Water Orton is a village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire borough of Warwickshire in the West Midlands, England near the River Tame. It is located between Castle Bromwich and Coleshill, and borders the West Midlands metropolitan county boundary to the north, west and south. At the 2001 Census, the population was 3,573, falling to 3,444 at the 2011 Census. In the 2021 Census the population slightly rose to 3,487.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henley-in-Arden</span> Town in Warwickshire, England

Henley-in-Arden is a town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England. The town takes its last name from the former Forest of Arden. Henley is known for its variety of historic buildings, some of which date back to medieval times, and its wide variety of preserved architectural styles. The one-mile-long (1.6 km) High Street is a conservation area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olton</span> Human settlement in England

Olton is an area/suburban village within the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands, England. In the 13th century, the Lords of the Manor moved their seat and formed a new settlement, at the junction of two major roads. It was then that Ulverlei was being referred to as ‘Oulton’ to distinguish itself from nearby Solihull. Historically within the county of Warwickshire, the village has gradually become contiguous with Solihull to the southeast, though it retains the character of a large independent village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baginton</span> Human settlement in England

Baginton is a village and civil parish in the Warwick district of Warwickshire, England, and has a common border with the City of Coventry / West Midlands county. With a population of 801, Baginton village is 4 miles (6.4 km) south of central Coventry, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northeast of Kenilworth and 7 miles (11 km) north of Leamington Spa. The population had reduced slightly to 755 at the 2011 Census. The Lucy Price playing field is situated centrally in the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaudesert, Warwickshire</span> Villages in England

Beaudesert is a village, civil parish and former manor in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England, immediately east across the River Alne to the east of Henley-in-Arden, to which it is closely associated and shares a joint parish council with. The main village, consisting of the church and a single short street of houses, stands close to the river and directly opposite Henley Church. Behind the village to the east rises the hill, locally known as 'The Mount', crowned with the earthwork remains of Beaudesert Castle of the De Montforts. According to the 2001 Census it had a population of 919, increasing to 990 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fillongley</span> Village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England

Fillongley, listed as Fillungeleye in 1135, is a village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire in England. The village is centred on the crossroads of the B4102 and the B4098. The population of the parish taken at the 2011 census was 1,484. It is situated 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Bedworth, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) south-west of Nuneaton and an equal distance north-west of Coventry. Fillongley is further from the sea than any other settlement in Great Britain, being 75 miles (120 km) from the nearest coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weeting Castle</span> Ruined, medieval manor house in England

Weeting Castle is a ruined, medieval manor house near the village of Weeting in Norfolk, England. It was built around 1180 by Hugh de Plais, and comprised a three-storey tower, a substantial hall, and a service block, with a separate kitchen positioned near the house. A moat was later dug around the site in the 13th century. The house was not fortified, although it drew on architectural features typically found in castles of the period, and instead formed a very large, high-status domestic dwelling. It was probably intended to resemble the hall at Castle Acre Castle, owned by Hugh's feudal lord, Hamelin de Warenne.

The Warwickshire Cricket League is the biggest cricket league for clubs in Warwickshire. Its origins go back to 1989, and since 1998 it has acted as a feeder league to the Birmingham and District Premier League Aston Manor in 2005, Berkswell in 2006, & Sutton Coldfield 2014 gained successive promotions from Birmingham League Division Three the following season. Coventry and North Warwickshire Cricket Club are the current champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honiley</span> Village in Warwickshire, England

Honiley is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall, in the Warwick district, in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is 2.5 miles (4 km) from Kenilworth, and 5.5 miles (9 km) from Coventry on the A4177 road. The 2001 Census recorded a parish population of 62. Honiley was merged with adjoining parishes on 1 April 2007 and can now be found under Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall.

John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, was an English landowner, soldier and administrator who was one of the Competitors for the Crown of Scotland in 1290 and signed and sealed the Barons' Letter of 1301.

Horeston Grange is a suburban area of Nuneaton, Warwickshire in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sauvey Castle</span> Castle in the United Kingdom

Sauvey Castle is a medieval castle, near Withcote, Leicestershire, England. It was probably built by King John in 1211 as a secluded hunting lodge in Leighfield Forest. It comprised a ringwork or shell keep, with an adjacent bailey; earthwork dams were constructed to flood the area around the castle, creating a large, shallow moat. The castle was occupied by the Count of Aumale in the early reign of Henry III, but it then remained in the control of the Crown and was used by royal foresters until it fell into disuse in the 14th century. By the end of the 17th century, its walls and buildings had been dismantled or destroyed, leaving only the earthworks, which remain in a good condition in the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caludon Castle</span> Grade I listed castle in the United Kingdom

Caludon Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed building in Coventry, in the West Midlands of England. A second moated site 190 metres (620 ft) to the south is a Scheduled Ancient Monument in its own right. The castle is now a ruin, and all that remains is a large fragment of sandstone wall. What remains of the estate is now an urban park, owned and run by Coventry City Council, but much of it was sold and developed into housing estates in the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bordesley Hall, Birmingham</span> Manor House in Birmingham, England

Bordesley Hall was an 18th century manor house near Bordesley, Birmingham, which stood in a 15 hectare park south of the Coventry Road in an area between what is now Small Heath and Sparkbrook. The Georgian house was the successor to an earlier medieval moated manor.

References

  1. 1 2 3 King, D.J.C., (1983), Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 482
  2. List entry 1013152
  3. List entry 1011367
  4. King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., (1969), 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol. 3 p. 90-127
  5. G. E. Cokayne, The Complete Peerage , n.s., vol. VI, p. 347
  6. 1 2 Salzman, L.F. (ed), (1947), 'Parishes: Fillongley' VCH Warwickshire Vol. 4 p. 69-71
  7. 1 2 "Fillongley History". Fillongley History. Retrieved 26 May 2023.