Fillongley Castle Yard

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Filungeleye

In the civil parish of Fillongley.
In the historic county of Warwickshire (Modern Authority of Warwickshire, 1974 county of Warwickshire).

Fragments of Masonry and complex water defences remain of castle licensed 1301 to John, Lord Hastings. Earthworks on a site known as the 'Castle Yard' comprising a low mount (or keep) with a courtyard to the S; the whole being surrounded by a moat. On the S of the 'court' are the remains of a rampart, and on the summit of the mount are masonry fragments. The Castle was occupied by the Hastings family in the reign of Henry I and afterwards became their chief residence in Warwickshire. Banks and ditches are well marked. More or less in the centre is a patch of higher ground on which is a block of masonry about 2.6 by 1.96m standing about 1.96m out of the ground. This was obviously the corner of a rectangular building. Against this but under the ground remains of a circular staircase have been found. Other traces of fallen masonry are scattered about. To the NE is a triangular area, with a ditch, probably the moat proper. Traces of paving and a well have been found.

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

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1301 Feb 2.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP27988682

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; 334029

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 330

• Web site links
  • http://timetrail.warwickshire.gov.uk/detail.aspx?monuid=WA330
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/140/fillongleyard.html
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p343
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p263 [slight]
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p46
    Salter, Mike, 1992, Castles and Moated Mansions of Warwickshire (Malvern) p28
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p482
    Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1947, 'Parishes: Fillongley' VCH Warwickshire: Vol4 p69-71 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42658
    Willoughby Gardner, 1904, in Doubleday, H.A. and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Warwickshire Vol1 p375-6
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p348-9
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p47-9
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p404
    Dugdale W., 1730, Antiq of Warwickshire p1056
• Journal Articles
  • Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol33 p106-12
    Chatwin, P.B., 1947-8, 'Castles in Warwickshire' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol67 p25-6
    Clark, G.T., 1883, The Builder Vol44 p241-2 [reprinted in MMA)
• 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 (1292-1301) p564
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Baker, H.D., 1987, Warwickshire Monument Evaluation and Presentation Project