Halton Castle
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- This article is about Halton Castle in Runcorn, Cheshire. For other structures of the same name see Halton Castle, Lancashire and Halton Castle, Northumberland.
Halton castle is a castle in the village of Halton, near Runcorn, Cheshire, England. It was the seat of the Barons of Halton from the 11th century until the 15th century.
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[edit] Site
The castle is situated on the top of Halton Hill, a sandstone prominence which is surrounded by the houses of the village of Halton. This has in turn in the 20th century been surrounded by the estates of Runcorn New Town (grid reference SJ537821).
[edit] History
Although there is no surviving evidence, it is likely that Halton Hill was a settlement in prehistoric times. Following the Norman conquest, the Barony of Halton was established by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester. The first baron to be appointed was Nigel of Cotentin and it is highly likely that he built a motte and bailey castle, constructing it from wood. It is also likely that during the 12th century the wooden structure was replaced by a castle built from the local sandstone although no documentary evidence of this remains. Details of the building works are obscure but it has been suggested that during the time that John of Gaunt was the 14th baron, the castle was crenellated. When the 15th baron, Henry Bolingbroke ascended the throne as King Henry IV administration of the castle passed to the castle seneschal.
During the reign of Henry VI a new gate tower was built. There is no evidence that the castle featured in the Wars of the Roses; this would have been unlikely because of its relatively obscure position. During the Tudor period it was used less as a fortress but rather as a prison, an administrative centre and a court of law. However it did feature in the Civil War. At the outbreak of hostilities the castle was garrisoned by the Royalists under the command of Captain Walter Primrose who had been appointed by Earl Rivers. It was besieged by Parliamentary forces under Sir William Brereton and the Royalists eventually surrendered. The Parliamentarians held the castle for a while but then, hearing of the approach of superior Royalist forces led by Prince Rupert, they abandoned it. However as the fortunes of the Royalists declined they in turn withdrew from Halton and the Parliamentariens occupied the castle once again. In 1646 a "Council of War" was held in Warrington where it was decided that the defences of the castles at Halton and Beeston were to be dismantled. In time this was achieved and Halton castle was to have no further military function.
The condition of the building continued to deteriorate although the gatehouse continued in use as a court. In 1728 the Earl of Cholmondeley leased the site from the Crown and a dignified courthouse was built on the approximate site of the gatehouse. The first floor was the courtroom and prisoners were held in the basement. The court continued to function here until 1908. In the middle of the 19th century folly walls had been added to the existing ruined walls on the east side of the castle to make it look more impressive from Norton Priory, the home of Sir Richard Brooke. In 1977 the castle was leased to Halton Borough Council.
[edit] Present state
The courthouse is now a public house, the Castle Hotel. The first floor courthouse is used as a function room and the basement contains the cellars of the public house. The walls of the castle are in a ruinous state but the circumference is intact and it is possible to walk completely round their exterior. From its prominent position there are extensive views in all directions, including Lancashire, Cheshire, the Pennines, the hills of the Peak District and the mountains of North Wales.
The castle continues to be owned by the Duchy of Lancaster and the site is managed by the Norton Priory Museum Trust. The interior of the castle is occasionally opened to the public and there are plans to make it more accessible in the future. The castle is a Grade I listed building and the Castle Hotel is listed Grade II*.
[edit] References
- Nickson, Charles History of Runcorn, Mackie & Co., London and Warrington, 1887.
- Starkey, H. F. Old Runcorn, Halton Borough Council, 1990.
- Whimperley, Arthur. Halton Castle: An Introduction & Visitors' Handbook, 1981.
- Whimperley, Arthur. The Barons of Halton, MailBook Publishing, Widnes, 1986.
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