Banbury Castle

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Banbury Castle is a ruined medieval castle in the center of Banbury in the English county of Oxfordshire . Historian John Kenyon points out that the castle was "notable for its early concentric structure."

history

Banbury Castle was built as a moth by Alexander , Bishop of Lincoln , in 1135 . In 1139 King Stephen confiscated the castle, but returned it to Alexander in the same year. It then remained in the hands of the Bishops of Lincoln until 1547. The castle was protected by a castle guard system (protection by raising soldiers in the area around the castle in case of war). 1201–1207, during the reign of Johann Ohneland , the fortifications of the castle were reinforced.

Later the castle was completely rebuilt. Earlier historians believed this was done towards the end of the 13th century, but archaeological digs in the 1970s indicated that this work was done in the years 1225-1250. The new castle had a concentric, pentagonal floor plan and thick, sloping walls. The castle also had a gatehouse , which was later so badly damaged that nothing is known about its construction today. Historian John Kenyon points out that Banbury Castle was "notable for its early concentric structure," which is common in castles built somehow later, such as castles. B. Harlech Castle or Beaumaris Castle . In the second half of the 13th century, the Bishops of Lincoln used the castle as a prison.

In 1547 Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset , bought the castle. A little later it fell to John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland , who sold it to the Crown in 1551. Soon after, the prison in the castle was reduced in size and finally closed completely in the 1560s. In the 1580s the prison was rebuilt, but for recusants , i.e. Catholics who refused to convert to the Anglican faith . In 1595 the crown enfeoffed the castle to Richard Fiennes , the baron of Saye and Sele .

In 1642 the English Civil War broke out. Banbury Castle was initially believed to be the Roundheads by William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele , son of Richard Fiennes, who hastily had their defenses reinforced. After the Battle of Edgehill , the king's troops marched south and forced the surrender of the castle and the 1,500 firearms stored there. The defenses were strengthened again and in 1644 the castle was again besieged, this time by the parliamentary forces under the command of William Fiennes. The Royal Governor, 18-year-old William Compton , held out July through October when Compton's brother, James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton , appalled the castle. In November of the same year, King Charles I dined in the castle. In January 1646 the castle was besieged again by 3,000 strong parliamentary troops under Edward Whalley . The royalist cause was lost, and in May Compton and his garrison of 300 men surrendered.

After the war, in 1648, the castle was razed so that it could not be used as a fortress again. Parliament paid Fiennes £ 2,000 in damages. Stones from the castle were later used as building material for various houses in the town.

today

Banbury Castle is nowhere to be seen. Castle Street is where it once was . Excavations were carried out on the site from 1973 to 1974.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c John R. Kenyon: Medieval Fortifications . tape 1 ; The Archeology of Medieval Britain Series. Continuum International Publishing Group, 1990, ISBN 0-7185-1289-8 , pp. 68 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed December 1, 2015]).
  2. ^ A b James Dixon MacKenzie: The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure . General Books LLC, (1896) 2009. ISBN 978-1-150-51044-1 . P. 150.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g Banbury: Buildings . British History Online. Pp. 29-42. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  4. ↑ Plantagenet Somerset Fry: The David & Charles Book of Castles . David & Charles, Newton Abbot 1980. ISBN 0-7153-7976-3 . P. 183.
  5. ↑ PJ Fasham: Excavations in Banbury, 1972: Second and Final Report in Oxoniensia . No. 48 (1983). Pp. 79 + 117.
  6. ↑ PJ Fasham: Excavations in Banbury, 1972: Second and Final Report in Oxoniensia . No. 48 (1983). P. 117.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g h James Dixon MacKenzie: The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure . General Books LLC, (1896) 2009. ISBN 978-1-150-51044-1 . P. 151.
  8. ↑ a b P. J. Fasham: Excavations in Banbury, 1972: Second and Final Report in Oxoniensia . No. 48 (1983). Pp. 88 + 118.
  9. ^ A History of Banbury. Banbury Cross, archived from the original on December 14, 2007 ; accessed on December 1, 2015 .
  10. ^ Banbury Castle. Gatehouse Gazetteer, accessed December 1, 2015 .

Coordinates: 52 ° 3 '46.1 "  N , 1 ° 20' 5.3"  W.