Ashby De La Zouch Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Ashby Castle, Ashby de la Zouche

In the civil parish of Ashby De La Zouch.
In the historic county of Leicestershire (Modern Authority of Leicestershire, 1974 county of Leicestershire).

The manor of Ashby was granted by William I to Hugh de Grantmesnil and subsequently passed by marriage to the Zouch family towards the end of C12. The site is primarily a C12 house which was redesigned and rebuilt over a period of several centuries. Between 1464 and 1483 Lord Hastings undertook an extensive building programme at Ashby, whilst retaining many of the site's existing structures.The buildings of the early Norman house are thought originally to have been timber structures which were replaced after 1150 by ones built of stone. The standing remains of C12 hall and solar are situated in the central part of the site. In 1474 Lord Hastings obtained a licence to erect a fortified house at Ashby. Several new buildings were constructed including a large tower house, known as the Hastings Tower, a chapel and a small courtyard of domestic buildings.

This site has been described as a;
Tower House.
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 1474 April 17.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 187707)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK36111663

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; 312919

• Web site links
  • http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/ashby%20castle.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/128/ashbycastle.htm
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_ashby.htm
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.53
• Books
  • Cantor, Leonard, 2003, The Scheduled Ancient Monument of Leicestershire and Rutland (Leicester: Kairos Press) p30
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p30-3
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p211
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p137-8
    Pevsner, Nikolaus; revised by Elizabeth Williamson with Geoffrey K Brandwood, 1984, Buildings of England: Leicestershire and Rutland (Harmondsworth)
    Smith, Michael E., 1992, Castles and Manor Houses in and around Derbyshire (Derby)
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p23-6
    Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain (London) p133
    Hartley, R. F., 1984, The Mediaeval Earthworks of North West Leicestershire, A survey (Leicester)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p252-3
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p180
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p184-6
    Scott, 1907, Story of Ashby De La Zouch (Ashby De La Zouch) p185-214
    Poynton, 1902, Pomance ov Ashby De La Zouch Castle (Birmingham) [poor]
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p409-10
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p341-2
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p236
    Anon, 1852, The History and Description of Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Ashby-de-la-Zouch)
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p156-7
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol3 p126-7
    Pedley, n.d., Antiquities of Ashby De La Zouch Castle (Birmingham) [drawings only]
• Journal Articles
  • Twigs Way, 2007, 'Ashby de la Zouch Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol20 p144-6 [summery of landscape investigation]
    Pattison, P. et al, 2006, 'A late medieval/renaissance garden at Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire' Research News Vol5 p40-4 [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/RN5_web_version_tagged_2.pdf]
    Anon, 2004, 'Ashby de al Zouche Castle conservation scheme complete' CSG Newsletter Vol6 Issue1 p2
    Cantor, Leonard, 1977-8, 'The Medieval Castles of Leicestershire' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol53 p34
    Simpson, W.D., 1939, 'The Castles of Dudley and Ashby de la Zouche' Archaeological Journal Vol95 p141-54
    Herbert, Anthony, 1932-4, "Ashby Castle' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol17 p198-203
    Fosbrooke, 1911, Assoc. Arch. Lit. Socies. Vol31 p181-224 [reprinted as Ashby De La Zouch Castle]
    Kerry, C., 1888, '(Ashby-de-la-Zouch) manor and castle (in Report of the Hon. Secretary)' Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol10
• Guidebooks
  • Jones, T.L., 1984, Ashby de la Zouch Castle, Leicestershire (English Heritage)
    Jones, T.L., 1953, Ashby de la Zouch Castle, Leicestershire (HMSO)
    Hill, 1931, (Ashby)
    Fosbrooke, n.d. [c. 1911], Ashby De La Zouch Castle
• 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 Charter Rolls Vol6 p242
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/huntseng.html#leics4]