Saffron Walden Castle

In the civil parish of Saffron Walden.
In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).

Castle is found on top of a man made hill Remnant of tower-keep. Late C11 or early C12. Flint and mortar core of walls severely degraded. Rectangular plan, approx 12.3m square with NW projection of forebuilding. 2 storeys survive. Interior has a central pier base to support upper floors and ground floor semicircular arched recesses approx 2.0m deep on the N, S and W sides. S recess has some herringbone pitched flint work, also shuttering ridges in the soffit mortar of S, SW and N recesses. On first floor, a recess on W side has been interpreted as a fireplace. The walls are breached through on SE corner, on site of stairs and tunnelled through at back of the N recess. A well, now covered, exists in the NW angle. Over this corner is a low projection built in the C18 as a semaphore station. Although a ruin, areas of original flat wall facing of simple flint work survive in several places. Bailey ditch found by various excavations. It is not known who built the keep. Stylistic comparison suggests a building date of the second quarter of C12, cf. Farnham Castle 1138, Ascot Doilly Castle 1129-42. Geoffrey (II) de Mandeville was however forced to surrender the castle to Stephen in 1144. Humphrey de Bohun was graned a licence to crenellate his 'mansum manerri' at Walden in 1348, however this was one of ten licenses and may not have been acted upon. Not the site site of the original saxon town but became focus of medieval town, However, sited on 'Bury Hill' which may suggest the site had some pre-existing fortification when the castle was founded although no other evidence exists for this suggestion of mine.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1347 Dec 22.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 370692)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL53923871

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 373679

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 411

• Web site links
  • http://www.saffronshops.com/streets/castlest/castle.shtml
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/walden/walden.php#castle
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/154/waldencastle.htm
• Books
  • Neville, David, 2003, Lost Castles of Essex (Ian Henry) p82-6
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p40
    Medlycott, M., 2000, Origins of Saffron Walden (Essex County Council) p4-7, 17 [plan and reconstruction]
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p76
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p147
    1982, Saffron Walden to 1300 (London) p15-18
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p288-9
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p337
    Pevsner, N., 1965. The Buildings of England: Essex (London, Penguin, 2edn. revised by E. Radcliffe) p333
    RCHME, 1916, An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex. Vol1 [north-west] p234
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England Vol1 p268-70
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p230
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p301
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol8 68-9
• Journal Articles
  • Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T., 1987, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1986' Medieval Archaeology Vol31 p124
    Bassett, S.R., 1982, Saffron Walden: excavations and research 1972-80 (CBA research reports Vol45)
    Couchman, C., 1979, Essex Archaeology and history Vol11 p70-72
    Couchman, C., 1976, Essex Archaeology and history Vol8 p165
    [Petchey] in Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1976, ‘Medieval Britain in 1975' Medieval Archaeology Vol20 p184
    [Bassett], 1974, Medieval Archaeology Vol18 p196
    [Bassett], 1973, Medieval Archaeology Vol17 p161
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1345-48) p450
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/essexeng.html#essex25]