Newton St Loe Castle
| Newton St Loe Castle | |
|---|---|
| Newton St Loe, Somerset | |
|
Keep of Newton St Loe Castle | |
  Newton St Loe Castle | |
| Coordinates | grid reference ST694639 |
| Type | Fortified manor house |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Bath Spa University |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Stone |
Newton St Loe Castle was a fortified manor house in the village of Newton St Loe, Somerset, England.
Details
Newton St Loe Castle was originally built as a fortified manor house, probably in the 12th century, surrounded by Newton Park, then a medieval deer park.[1] At the start of the 14th century, a keep was built on the site as part of a wider programme of work by the St Loe family, creating a rectangular, courtyard castle with four corner towers, protected by a ditch on three sides.[2] In 1375 the site was inherited by Elizabeth, the last of the St Loe family, who married William, Baron Botreaux.[3] Sir Walter Hungerford built a new gatehouse at the castle during the first half of the 15th century, which features turrets, machicolations and an early gunport.[4]
In the 19th century the castle and the surrounding park were heavily landscaped to produce the current country house and gardens; only the renovated keep and the gatehouse survive intact, although a nearby mound marks one of the corner towers of the 14th-century castle.[5] Today the site is leased by Bath Spa University and both the keep and the gatehouse are scheduled monuments, holding a Grade 1 listed building status.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ St Loes Castle, National Monuments Record, English Heritage, accessed 16 July 2011; Dunning, pp.61-2.
- ↑ Pettifer, p.222; Youngs and Clark, p.200; Castle Keep in the Grounds of Newton Park, Images of England, accessed 16 July 2011.
- ↑ Dunning, pp.61-2.
- ↑ Pettifer, p.222; Kenyon, p.83.
- ↑ St Loes Castle, National Monuments Record, English Heritage, accessed 16 July 2011.
- ↑ Newton St Loe, Gatehouse webpage, accessed 16 July 2011.
Bibliography
- Dunning, Robert. (1995) Somerset Castles. Tiverton, UK: Somerset Books. ISBN 978-0-86183-278-1.
- Kenyon, John R. (1977. "Early Gunports," Fort 4, pp74–84.
- Pettifer, Adrian. (2002) English Castles: a Guide by Counties. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-782-5.
- Youngs, Susan M. and John Clark. (1981) "Medieval Britain in 1980," Medieval Archaeology 25, pp. 166–288.
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Coordinates: 51°22′24″N 2°26′28″W / 51.3733°N 2.4410°W