Fotheringhay Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Fotheringay; Fortheringhay

In the civil parish of Fotheringhay.
In the historic county of Northamptonshire (Modern Authority of Northamptonshire, 1974 county of Northamptonshire).

C12 motte and bailey castle surviving as an earthwork. The castle keep and inner curtain wall were extensively repaired during Edward IVs reign and the castle was well maintained throughout the reigns of the Tudor monarchs. Sold into private hands in 1603, the walling was gradually stripped so that little now remains. Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned here from 1586-7, until her execution in the great hall.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Masonry Castle
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL061929

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; 361605

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/142/fotheringhaycastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p75
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p238
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p166-7
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press) p10, 18
    Hunt, S.J. (ed), 1987, A History of Fotheringhay (Fotheringhay Churh Restoration Committee) p1-4
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p316
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p232
    RCHME, 1975, An inventory of the historical monuments in the County of Northampton. Vol1: North East Northamptonshire (HMSO) p43-46 plate 5
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works Vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London) p248-251
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p649-50
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1961, Buildings of England: Northamptonshire (Penguin) p211
    Dickinson, 1946, Historic Fotheringhay (Gloucester) p5-11
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Downman, E.A., 1906, in Serjeantson, R.M., Ryland, W. and Adkins, D. (eds), VCH Northampton Vol2 p410, 572-4
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p320-7
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p50-1 [slight]
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p302-6
    Bonney, 1821, Historic Notices in reference to Fotheringhay (Oundle) p18-33
    Bridges, John, 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northampshire (Oxford) Vol2 p448-9
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p320
    1981, Northamptonshire Archaeology Vol16 p200
    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]
    Hope, 1912, Archaeological Journal Vol69 p494-5
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/huntseng.html#norts12]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p323, 332
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p5