Donnington Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Donington; Donyngton; Dennington; Dunnington

In the civil parish of Shaw cum Donnington.
In the historic county of Berkshire (Modern Authority of West Berkshire, 1974 county of Berkshire).

Medieval castle licensed circa 1386. Flint with stone dressings and some repairs in brick. Ruined courtyard with the remains of 6 towers. Gatehouse to east, possibly by Henry Yevele. 3 storeys. 2 circular towers at eastern corners of 4 stages with plinth and battlemented parapet. 2 square headed windows to east with moulded 4-centered arch below. Interior: Gatehall has 2 bay lierne vault with moulded ribs, cusped panels and carved bosses. The castle was vigorously defended during the Civil War when encircled by extensive fieldworks, some of which remain as earthworks. Excavated in 1932.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry 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 1386 June 11.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 394112)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU461691

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; 233041

• Web site links
  • http://www.britannia.com/history/berks/donncast.html
    http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/donnington_cast.html
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_donnington.htm
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/camber/camber.php#castle
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.181
    http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/adv_reference.asp?imageUID=53673
    http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/adv_reference.asp?imageUID=56852
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p83-5
    Elliot, Julia (ed), 2005, Heritage Unlocked; Guide to free sites in London and the South East (English Heritage) p94-5
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p18-21
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p5
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 10-11
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p219-10
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1966, The buildings of England Berkshire p128
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p38-41
    Page, Wm and Ditchfield, P.H. (eds), 1924, VCH Berkshire Vol4 p93-4
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p171-4
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p63-4
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p278, 419
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol2 p269
    Lysons, D. and S., 1806, Magna Britannia Vol1 p355-7, 461-2 [history]
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p6
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p318
    Macnamara, 1898, Berks. Bucks. and Oxoxn. Arch Journ Vol4 p48-60, 70-5 [history]
    Godwin, H., 1873, Archaeologia Society of Antiquaries of London Vol44 p459-79 [history]
• Guidebooks
  • Wood, M., 1964, Donnington Castle (HMSO)
• 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 (1385-89) p156
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#berks9]