In 1292 June 20, Willielmus de Bello Campo, Comes Warr. was granted, by Edward I, (In year 20 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate Hamslape (Castle Thorpe)

"quendam murum circa quoddam viridarium infra mansum suum de..."

Granted at Berwick-on-Tweed,

King writes this licence was for a garden wall only; however it is possible to interpert the wording to mean the house. "to make a wall ... round a garden within his dwelling house ... and to crenellate the same" is the 'the same' the wall or the dwelling house? An additional issue is a garden within the dwelling house.

Original source is

• Calendar of Patent Rolls (1281-92) p497

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms.)

Significant later source are;

• Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol38 p125n119
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p27, 30n8
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p403

More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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