Oakham Castle

The Great Hall of Oakham Castle

Oakham Castle is located in Oakham, Rutland, England. It was constructed between 1180 and 1190, in the reign of Henry II for Walchelin de Ferriers, Lord of the Manor of Oakham. The Castle is known for its collection of massive horseshoes and is also recognised as one of the best examples of domestic Norman architecture in England.[1] Admission to the castle is free.

Oakham Castle is owned and managed by Rutland County Council. Oakham Castle is licensed for civil ceremonies.

General Information

Castle Lane leading from the Market Place to the castle
Horseshoes on the east wall

Oakham Castle does not represent the traditional image of a castle due to its small size. The Great Hall is all that remains of an early medieval fortified manor house. It did, however, have many of the traditional features of a castle such as a curtain wall, a gatehouse and a drawbridge with iron chains. There is also historical and archaeological evidence to suggest that Oakham Castle possessed towers at strategic points along the walls as well as a moat.

The Great Hall comprises a nave and two arcaded aisles, each with three large stone columns. There are a number of 12th century sculptures decorating the Hall including six musicians that are supported by the columns. The sculptures are carved from local stone quarried at Clipsham and are believed to have been made by masons who had also worked at Canterbury Cathedral. It is thought to have been built by Walkelin de Ferrers circa 1180-90.[1]

The present gateway into the market place closely resembles the gateways at Burley-on-the-Hill, and is thought to have been erected by the first Duke of Buckingham.[2]

Time Team, the Channel 4 archaeology series, filmed at Oakham Castle 26-28 June 2012. The programme was shown on 10 February 2013.[3]

Oakham Castle is licensed for civil ceremonies.[4] The site is owned and managed by Rutland County Council.

The Horseshoes

Ferrers Family Crest

There remains a unique tradition that peers of the realm should forfeit a horseshoe to the Lord of the Manor of Oakham on their first visit to the town. Two hundred and thirty horseshoes currently decorate the walls of Oakham Castle. It is thought that this tradition is linked to the ‘de Ferrers’ family name. Ferrier was the Norman French word for farrier and the horseshoe has been a symbol of the de Ferrers family since Henry de Ferrers arrived in England in 1066.

The oldest surviving horseshoe in the collection is one that was presented by Edward IV in 1470 after his victory at the Battle of Losecoat Field. Recent additions to the collection are horseshoes presented by the Princess Royal in 1999, the Prince of Wales in 2003, Princess Alexandra in 2005 and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2014.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Historic England. "Oakham Castle  (Grade I) (1073277)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Gateway to Oakham Castle  (Grade II) (1361781)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.
  3. ↑ "Tony Robinson and Time Team uncover horseshoe at Oakham Castle". Rutland Mercury. 29 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "Oakham Castle". Weddings and Civil Partnerships. Rutland county council. Retrieved 1 Jun 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oakham Castle.

Coordinates: Maps 52°40′15″N 0°43′39″W / 52.670957°N 0.727449°W