Hadleigh Castle

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Hadleigh Castle ruins from the east.
Hadleigh Castle ruins from the east.

Hadleigh Castle, Essex overlooks the river Thames from a ridge to the south of the town of Hadleigh. It is a Grade I listed building (grid reference TQ810860). Today, the castle is preserved as an ancient monument, forming the most important historic site in the borough and the most important late-medieval castle in Essex.

Contents

[edit] History

Etching of Hadleigh Castle c.1810.
Etching of Hadleigh Castle c.1810.

Construction started in 1230 under the reign of King John for Hubert de Burgh - 1st Earl of Kent and Chief Justiciar of England. Hubert de Burgh also acted as regent for the King's successor King Henry III but the castle was soon seized by Henry after Hubert was imprisoned.[1][2]

The castle was built of Kentish ragstone and cemented by a mortar containing a large proportion of seashells; particularly cockleshells from the cockle beds of neighbouring Canvey Island.[3]

As a royal property it was heavily extended in the mid 14th century by Edward III and it is mainly these extensions that remain.[1] The castle and its adjoining 500 acre park[4] formed part of the dower of several English queens in the 15th and 16th centuries, including Elizabeth Woodville (wife of Edward IV) and three of the wives of Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves, and Catherine Parr.

Edward VI sold it in 1551 for £700 to Lord Rich of Leez Priory in Chelmsford who used the castle as a source of stone for other buildings such as churches. The castle later passed from the possession of Lord Rich to the Barnard family.[5]

Years of neglect and the effects of land subsidence[1] had left the castle in ruins by the 17th century, but two towers constructed in the era of Edward III still remain.[2] One of the three-storey towers at the eastern side built from rubble with ashlar dressings stands to nearly full height and has narrow rectangular windows in the upper levels. The second tower has not fared as well, appearing to have partially disintegrated in a landslip and consequently has lost approximately two-thirds of its form. Some sections of the curtain exist, the foundations of the great hall[2], two solars, and the kitchen remain. There is also a barbican which once stood adjacent to a swing-bridge.[6]

[edit] John Constable

The English painter John Constable visited Hadleigh in 1814 and made a minute drawing of the castle as preparation for ten oil sketches and a single painting produced in 1829. One of the sketches is currently displayed at the Tate Gallery, London,[7][8] while the painting now hangs in the Yale Center for British Art at New Haven, United States.[9]

[edit] Present day

The castle is now owned by the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, known as English Heritage.[4]

[edit] Events

Rangers host events and activities throughout the year including stargazing walks in winter, glow-worm hunts in summer and the seasonal Santa in the Park at Christmas.[10]

A reproduction iron age round house has recently been constructed on the site, which is used for special events and educational visits.[10] Hadleigh rangers also offer Roman, Iron Age and Saxon experiences and a mock archaeological dig.[10]

The grounds of the castle are being considered as the new location of the mountain biking events for the 2012 Summer Olympics, as the the original location of Weald Country Park near Brentwood was dismissed by the International Cycling Federation as too flat to challenge the competitors.[11]

[edit] Image gallery

Approach to Hadleigh Castle

Hadleigh Castle ruins from the west.

Close-up of castle tower.

Panoramic castle view.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Simon Robbins, Gina Robins. Hadleigh Castle. CastleXplorer.co.uk. Retrieved: 2008.02.13
  2. ^ a b c The Heritage Trail. Hadleigh Castle. theheritagetrail.co.uk. Retrieved: 2008.02.13
  3. ^ H. W. King. (1858). Hadleigh Castle. Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society. Part I, Vol I. (p. 84).
  4. ^ a b Castle Point
  5. ^ James Storer. (1810). Antiquarian and Topographical Cabinet, Containing a Series of Elegant Views of the most interesting objects of curiosity in Great Britain. Hadleigh Castle, Essex. Published for the proprietors by W. Clarke. (p. 146).
  6. ^ English Heritage. Hadleigh Castle (on site information board).
  7. ^ Tate Online. Sketch for 'Hadleigh Castle' circa 1828-9 by John Constable. Retrieved: 2008.02.13.
  8. ^ Duff, Natahsa. (2006). Constable's Sketch for Hadleigh Castle: A Technical Examination, Tate Research. Retrieved: 2008.02.13.
  9. ^ Yale Center for British Art. Collections: Paintings & Sculpture. Retrieved: 2008.02.13.
  10. ^ a b c Essex County Council
  11. ^ [1]

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 51.54387° N 0.60883° E

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