Rotherfield Greys Castle
| Rotherfield Greys Castle | |
|
Oxfordshire | |
|---|---|
 Rotherfield Greys Castle | |
| Type: | Castle |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SO716927 |
| Location: | 51°32’43"N, -0°57’15"W |
| History | |
| Key events: | Civil War |
| Information | |
| Condition: | Ruined |
Rotherfield Greys Castle, initially known as Retherfield Castle, is a 14th-century fortified manor house built in Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire. Only the ruins of a single tower and a section of curtain wall survives, of which is associated with Greys Court, a Tudor country house. The castle is owned by the National Trust.
History
The earliest mention of a manor at Rotherfield Greys, then known as Retherfield, was in 1283 during the reign of King Edward I. The current castle at Rotherfield Greys, which was probably not built for defensive purposes, replaced this manor and it was built circa 1347 after being crenelated by Johannes de Grey de Retherfeld]] on 10 December 1346.[1]
The east front was extended around 1600 by William Knollys. However after the Civil War, the castle was slighted. It has been in ruins since around 1646.
The remains of the castle are a Grade I listed building, along with the rest of Greys Court.[2] Of the surviving ruins, one tower is set obliquely at the north angle, the other tower is in the middle of the north eastern side and the third tower is octagonal and its south eastern corner has been incorporated into part of a cottage that likely dates to the early 17th century.[3]
References
- ↑ Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (ed), (1906), Calendar of Patent Rolls (1348-50) p. 36
- ↑ National Heritage List 1181202: Grey's Court, Rotherfield Greys (Grade I listing)
- ↑ Jones, B. (ed), (2004), Greys Court: Historic Building Report (English Heritage)