Woodsford Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Wyrdesford

In the civil parish of Woodsford.
In the historic county of Dorset (Modern Authority of Dorset, 1974 county of Dorset).

Surviving range of fortified manor house. C14 - licence to crenellate granted to William de Whitefield 1336. Roughly coursed rough ashlar walls. Thatched roofs, part hipped, part with coped gables. Originally first floor hall plan, over vaulted undercroft. Attic floor inserted in hall, floor levels altered, and roof rebuilt in C17. Possibly once formed a 3 or 4-sided courtyard house. At left end of main range a projecting C17 wing, of 3 storeys. In main range a chamfered string course at original first floor level. On ground floor, near left end, a ledged door in 4-centred arched opening, approached up a flight of stone steps, gives access to hall. Nearer right end, 2 similar doors at ground level, give access to service rooms in undercroft. Stone corbels above these, possibly for former pentice. Left of hall door, 2 slit windows. Right of it one slit window and a C17 four-light stone mullioned window. One slit window right of the lower doors. 2 C17 stone mullioned windows cut into the original string course. Right of these, above string course, 2 C14 mullioned and transomed. windows - one 2-light and one 1-light, with trefoiled lights. On present 3rd floor (above hall) 3 C17 mullioned windows with lead lights. At right end of main range a D-shaped stair turret, giving access to rooms at right end of building. External steps up to ledged door. Right of the main range a lower, 2-storeyed range, - probably servants' rooms. At right end of this, remains of former turret, with 4-centred arched opening. In this range a ledged door in 4-centred arched opening with slightly projecting surround. 2 slit windows on ground floor. On first floor, 2 mullioned and transomed windows, one 2-light and one 1-light, with trefoiled lights. In left (north) end wall, and in rear wall, a C14 window, 2-light mullioned and transomed window, upper lights ogee headed, lower lights shouldered arched. Various inserted C17 windows. Along rear wall, stone corbels at eaves level, probably for former parapet. Remains of turrets on this wall. Internally, ground floor vaulted throughout. Remains of large kitchen fireplace opening, with stone arch. Hall, at north end, has inserted ceiling, cutting off heads of original windows. Stone fireplace, with joggled lintel on moulded corbels. Off the hall at north east corner, a garderobe chamber, with chute, and wall basin. Spiral stairs to roof at north end of hall. 4-centred archway into stair hall - this, and adjoining bathroom the original chapel, with ogee arched piscina. Stone stairs in stair hall probably in original position. Solar, or Queen's room beyond chapel has squint into chapel. Rooms at south end unoccupied for a long period; largely unaltered except for changes of floor level. Several original door openings. A medieval house of considerable interest.

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
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 1335 Oct 8.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SY75829037

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; 454849

• Web site links
  • http://www.geograph.co.uk/photo/40292
    http://www.weymouth-pictures.co.uk/dor/cen/woo/pic_cas01.htm
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p684-90
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p31
    Pomeroy, Colin, 1998, Discover Dorset Castles and Forts (Dovecote Press) p46-8
    Wilton, Phil,1995, Castles of Dorset (Wimborne)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p69
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p129
    Pevsner, N. and Newman J., 1972, Buildings of England: Dorset (London) p494
    RCHME, 1970, An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Vol2: south-east (HMSO) p397-400 plates 199-200
    Oswald, 1959 [2edn], Country Houses of Dorset (London) p50-3
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1906, VCH Dorset Vol2 p450
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p255
    Hutchins, J., 1861-73 (3edn), History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset (Blandford) Vol1 p449-53
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p411
• Journal Articles
  • Moule, H.J., 1899, 'Woodsford Castle' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol20 p161-166 [not a good article]
    
• 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 (1334-38) p221
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/dorseteng.html#dorset6]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p134, 143