Old Wardour Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Werdour

In the civil parish of Tisbury.
In the historic county of Wiltshire (Modern Authority of Wiltshire, 1974 county of Wiltshire).

Castle constructed during the 1390s, licensed 1393, and remodelled during the 1570s by Robert Smythson. It is of two storeys, hexagonal on plan with projecting towers and an enclosed courtyard and constructed of limestone ashlar. The building was partly destroyed during the Civil War in 1643-44 and was replaced by New Wardour Castle in 1776 when the bailey was laid out as pleasure gardens.

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

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1393 Feb 27.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 320803)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST93862632

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; 210460, 1062590

• Web site links
  • http://www.wardour.freewire.co.uk/
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/old%20wardour%20castle.htm
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/old-wardour/old-wardour.php
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_Old_Wardour.htm
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.294
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p658-65
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p101-3
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p277-8 [plan]
    Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain (London) p86
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p501
    Girouard, M., 1983, Robert Smythson and the Elizabethan Country House
    Morley, B.M., 1981, ‘Aspects of fourteenth-century castle design' in A Detsicas (ed) Collectanea Historica: Essays in Memory of Stuart Rigold (Kent Archaeological Society) p104-13
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p272
    Pevsner, N. (Revised by Cherry, Bridget), 1975, The Buildings of England: Wiltshire (London, Penguin) p548-51
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p235-8
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p3-4
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p331-2, 420
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p317
• Journal Articles
  • Goodall, J., 2005 April, Country Life
    Girouard, M., 1991 Feb, Country Life
    Saunders, A., 1983, ‘Old Wardour Castle’ Archaeological Journal Vol140 p70–1
    Smith, G., 1983, 'Excavation at Old Wardour Castle, 1983' Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol80 p223–4
    Keen and Hurst, 1967, 'Excavations at Old Wardour Castle, Wiltshire' Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol62 p67-78
    1947, Archaeological Journal Vol104 p167
    Chettle, H.F., 1944, Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol50 p452-8
    Hussey, 1930, Country Life Vol68 p442-8
    Perkins, T., 1894, 'Sketch of the History of Old Wardour Castle' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol15 p26-35
    W.D., 1873, The Antiquary Vol4 p259-62 [history]
• Guidebooks
  • Davison, Brian K., 1999, Old Waldour Castle Wilts (English Heritage)
    Pugh, R.B. and Saunders, A.D., 1968, Old Wardour Castle, Wiltshire (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 (1392-96) p261
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#wilts10]