Horsley Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Horston; Horeston; Horsford Horsley; Harestan; Harstan; Hareston vel Horsley

In the civil parish of Horsley.
In the historic county of Derbyshire (Modern Authority of Derbyshire, 1974 county of Derbyshire).

Remains of castle, of which the first known mention is in the reign of Stephen between 1135-1154. All that now remains are the ruined stone square keep, built by King John about 1200, about 10ft high and the bailey. Extensive quarrying has removed the rest of the site. There is a moat still visible to the west.

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 footings remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK376431

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; 313683

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/128/horstoncastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p22
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p52 [slight]
    Smith, Michael E., 1992, Castles and Manor Houses in and around Derbyshire (Derby)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p109
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p245
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p681-2
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Cox, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Derbyshire Vol1 p382-4
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p469-70
• Journal Articles
  • Heathcote, J. P., 1963, Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Derbyshire' Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol83 p95
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    Fisher, F.N., 1938, 'Horston Castle; its governors from the 12th to the 16th centuries.' Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol59 p5-52
    Kerry, C., 1888, 'Annals of Horeston and Horsley' Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol10 p19-27
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p101