Codnor Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Codenor; Courtenoure

In the civil parish of Aldercar And Langley Mill.
In the historic county of Derbyshire (Modern Authority of Derbyshire, 1974 county of Derbyshire).

Some remains of C13 stone castle built on earlier motte. Listed as a fortifed manor, C13/C14 with later additions, now ruinous. The moat has been mostly destroyed by ironstone workings. Ashlar and coursed squared sandstone. Eighteen foot high remains of former rectangular three storey tower to north with connecting wall to later outer court to south. Tower has remains of large external stack to north wall and small square openings to west wall. Outer court has walls on three sides with central ashlar polygonal tower with cross slit windows on two sides and small cusped ogee window to left side. West wall has a four-centred arched fireplace to centre with quoined doorcase to left side. Other wall without openings. Built by the Grey family of Codnor and taken over by the Zouch family in 1496.

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

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK43364998

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; 315722

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/129/codnorcastle.htm
    http://www.jacksdale.org.uk/pages/JDHeritage/Castle.htm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codnor_Castle
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p18
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p368
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p49
    Smith, Michael E., 1992, Castles and Manor Houses in and around Derbyshire (Derby)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p109
    Pevsner, Nikolaus revised by Elizabeth Williamson, 1978, Buildings of England: Derbyshire (Harmondsworth) p154
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Cox, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Derbyshire Vol1 p380-1
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 464-6
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p220
    Lysons, D. and S., 1817, Magna Britannia Vol5 Derbyshire p. ccxxxvi [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.asp?pubid=405]
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p56
• Journal Articles
  • Anon, 2007, 'Codnor Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol20 p147 [preservation society news report]
    Stevenson, W., 1920, 'The south court of Codnor Castle.' Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol42 p46-59
    Corfield, F.C., 1893, 'Archaeological gleanings in the neighbourhood of Codnor Castle.' Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol15 plate vi
    Kerry, C., 1892 'Codnor Castle, and its ancient owners.' Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol14 p16-33
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/lincseng.html#derb6]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p101
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol5 p31