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Betchworth Castle
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Bechesworth; Bettisworth
In the civil parish of Brockham.
In the historic county of Surrey (Modern Authority of Surrey, 1974 county of Surrey).
Betchworth Castle is a fortified medieval house with later alterations and additions, situated on a sandstone spur which overlooks the western bank of the River Mole. Its north eastern end built of sandstone and brick survives in a ruinous state to 9m in height, whilst the south western end survives only largely below ground. Historical records indicate that Betchworth Castle dates to at least 1379, when Sir John Fitzalan, Marshal of England, was granted licence to crenellate his residence there. It is likely that the fortified house was constructed on the site of an earlier castle, traces of which may survive beneath the later buildings. a further licence was granted to Thomas Brown in 1448.The house subsequently underwent several phases of alteration and redevelopment, including a major remodelling during the mid-C15.
This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House
Timber 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 1379 July 26.
A Royal licence
to crenellate was
granted in 1448 Dec 10.
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law.
This site is a
Grade 2 listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 289837)
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ19035005
PastScape number;
397422
- Web site links
- Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p311-2, 440
Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Surrey (Malvern) p8
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p239
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p466
Pevsner, N. and Nairn, Ian, 1971 (Revised Cherry, Bridget), The Buildings of England: Surrey (London, Penguin) p111
Malden, H.E. (ed), 1911, VCH Surrey Vol3 p147
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p92-3
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p418
Manning, O. and Bray, W., 1804, The History and Antiquities of Surrey Vol1 p555-60
Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p277
- Journal Articles
- Anon, 2005, 'Betchworth Castle to be supported by £75,000 project' CSG Newsletter Vol7 Issue1 p2
- 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 (1377-81) p380
Calendar of Charter Rolls Vol6 p102
- Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
Most of the sites or buildings
recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission
to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant |
The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English
Heritage and other individuals and organisations. |
It is an offence to disturb a
Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of
everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site
without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation. |
Please help me to make this as
useful a resource as possible by contacting
me if you see errors
or if you can add information.
I do acknowledge the help I get with
this site. |
*The listed building
may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site
of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
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