Codnor Castle
Codnor Castle is a ruined castle from the 13th century in the English county of Derbyshire . The lands around Codnor came under the jurisdiction of William Peverel after the Norman conquest of England . The ruin is a Scheduled Monument and has been listed by English Heritage as a Grade II Historic Building. The building has been a building at risk since 2008 .
history
William Peverel
The castle is a stone moth and was built by William Peverel. The remains, still visible today, come from a three-story donjon and a strong curtain wall with a moat flanked by two round towers. The outer castle wall is further down and was built later. The castle watches over the Erewash Valley and the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire . It originally had a deep moat and there was a sizable forest on its east side that was later cut down. On the west side there was a castle courtyard, which was fortified by huge round towers with battlements. In other parts of the ruin one can see that the outer wall had loopholes through which crossbowmen could shoot if necessary .
Henry de Gray
Around 1211 the castle belonged to Henry de Gray , a descendant of the Norman knight Anchetil de Greye . Henry's descendants are the long line of Lords Gray of Codnor , Lords Gray of Ruthyn , Wiltons and Rotherfields , as well as Lady Jane Gray , the Earls of Stamford and the extinct families of the Dukes of Suffolk and Dukes of Kent . His son Richard lived in Codnor and served King Henry III. Together with his brother John, he served the king in the Holy Land . John Gray excelled in the Scottish Wars and was good friends with King Edward III. Together with William d'Eincourt , Lord Gray commanded all the Knights of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in the event of an invasion. Henry , the last of the family, died during the reign of King Henry VII without a legitimate heir. He bequeathed part of his lands to his illegitimate sons Henry and Richard and another part to his widow, Katherine Stourton .
The Zouche family
The remainder of the inheritance went to his aunt Elizabeth Gray , who in 1429 married Sir John Zouche , the youngest son of the 4th Baron Zouche of Harringsworth . Sir John Zouche of Codnor was three times High Sheriff of Derbyshire . The castle remained in the hands of the Zouche family for 200 years until they sold it in 1634 and immigrated to Virginia .
Streynsham Master
Sir Streynsham Master , High Sheriff of Derbyshire , who bought Codnor Castle in 1692, is believed to have been the castle's last occupant. He lived there until 1724.
today
Today the remains of Codnor Castle are in ruins; its few high walls are supported by scaffolding. Signs on the surrounding fence indicate that the area is now owned by UK Coal Mining Ltd and is not open to the public. Still, you can get a good look at the remains of the castle from public sidewalks.
In June 2007, members led the Time Team of Channel 4 from archaeological excavations around the castle and brought some interesting results to light. A perfectly preserved gold coin was found in the moat, now on display in the Derby Museum and Art Gallery .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Codnor . The Domesday Book Online ( Memento of the original dated September 26, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved January 8, 2008.
- ^ Codnor Castle . English Heritage . Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ Remains of Codnor Castle . English Heritage . Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ Codnor Castle . CastleUK.net . Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ↑ William D'Eincourt was the son of Walter D'Eincourt, who had "67 lordships", of which Blankney was his "headquarters". Source: William D'Eincourt . books.google.co.uk . Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ Time Team at Channel Four: Codnor Castle . First broadcast on January 6, 2008. Accessed February 26, 2015.
Web links
- Codnor Castle . Gatehouse Gazetteer.
- Codnor Castle . Codnor & District Local History & Heritage.
- Codnor Castle, Derbyshire - Earthwork Analysis . English Heritage Research Reports.
Coordinates: 53 ° 2 '43.4 " N , 1 ° 21' 17.3" W.