Broughton Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Broghton

In the civil parish of Broughton.
In the historic county of Oxfordshire (Modern Authority of Oxfordshire, 1974 county of Oxfordshire).

Fortified manor house, built in the early C14 and extended and remodelled in C15, C16 and C18. Restored in C19 and C20. The original house included a large hall with the private apartments at one end and the kitchen and ancillary rooms at the other. Some of the original range of buildings, including the kitchen at the western end, were partially demolished in C16 and their foundations lie below the present structure. The house stands on a large island, surrounded by a broad moat. Stonework in the moat, visible when the water level is lowered, indicates that it was originally more regular in width, with angled corners forming an octagonal plan. Little remains unaltered of C14/C15 building other than gatehouse. Licence to Crenellate issued to Sir Thomas Wykeham circa 1407

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1406 March 19.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP41803817

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; 337035, 1077038

• Web site links
  • http://www.broughtoncastle.demon.co.uk/
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/houses/houseoxf_brou.htm
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p72-80 [plans]
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p66-7
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p203-4
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p385
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p195-6
    Pevsner, N. and Sherwood, J., 1974, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire (London) p492-98
    Lobel, Mary D. and Crossley, Alan (eds), 1969, VCH Oxfordshire Vol9 p87-92
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p44-6
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Ditchfield, 1903, Memorials of Old Oxford (London) p39-47
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p152-4
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p444-9
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p270, 421
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol2 p261-7
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p234
• Journal Articles
  • Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p227
    Slade, H.G., 1978, ‘Broughton Castle, Oxfordshire' Archaeological Journal Vol135 p138-94
    Binney, M., 1976 Dec, Country Life
    Long, 1939, Oxfordshire Archaeological Society Vol85 p99-101
    Tipping, 1930, Country Life Vol67 p50-7, 84-91, 126-34
    St John Hope, W.H., 1910, Archaeological Journal Vol67 p382-6
    Lord Saye and Sele, 1901, Berks, Bucks, and Oxon. Archaeological Journal [new ser] Vol7 p23-5 [history only]
    Bruton, 1892, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol48 p280-2
    W.D., 1873, The Antiquary Vol3 p257-9 (history)
• Guidebooks
  • 1982, Broughton Castle Booklet
• 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 (1405-8) p161
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/gloceng.html#oxon7]