Macclesfield Castle

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Macclesfield Castle , also known as Buckingham Castle or Buckingham Palace , was a castle in Macclesfield in the English county of Cheshire . John de Macclesfield began building the fortified house in 1398. It was made of sandstone and had a square plan with protruding wings. Renovations were carried out in the 15th century and the house passed through the hands of two Earls families. In 1585 the building was in ruins and only a vestibule remained until the 20th century. This was demolished in 1932 and farmhouses and shops were built on the property.

history

Between 1392 and 1398, John de Macclesfield , an official at the court of Richard II and Keeper of the Great Wardrobe, began buying land in the town of Macclesfield to have a manor built there. Construction of the house began in 1398. In the same year and again in 1399, Macclesfield asked the king for permission to fortify the new house (English: License to Crenellate). The castle's historian, RC Turner , says this was due to the crisis at the end of King Richard's reign . However, the king died before he could give Macclesfield permission, and was succeeded by Henry IV. Although John de Macclesfield could not win the favor of the new king when the Keeper of the Great Wardrobe was deposed and returned to Macclesfield, he received it in 1410 the desired royal permission. John de Macclesfield was a common man despite his previous position at the royal court and so it was very unusual for him to receive royal permission to fortify his mansion.

When John de Macclesfield died in 1422, his lands fell to his illegitimate children . In 1444 it was bought by Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham . The castle was added to in the middle of the 15th century. Ownership of the castle changed in 1485 from the Dukes of Buckingham , after whom it was named Buckingham Castle or Buckingham Palace , to the Stanley family , the Earls of Derby . It is believed that King Henry VII was staying at Macclesfield Castle in 1496 when he visited the Earl of Derby at Macclesfield. The castle was in ruins by the end of the 16th century; in 1585, William Smith described it as "a large building made entirely of stone in the manner of a castle - but now in bad shape".

Parts of the castle were still in use from 1793–1811; one room was used by the Roman Catholic Congregation at Macclesfield. In the 20th century only a vestibule from the time of Henry VII was from all over the castle remained., Where today the Palace Yard located, as well as parts of the curtain wall . Despite plans to preserve the vestibule, it was demolished in 1932 and the property used to build farmhouses and shops. In 1985, stone , which originally belonged to the castle, was discovered by chance, even if it was badly weathered. In the same year excavations were carried out on the site.

layout

Describing the castle in 1585, Smith noted that Macclesfield Castle was a square-plan building with protruding wings and decorative towers. Because so little of the building has survived, it is not known whether it had a great hall , but Turner thinks it may have been influenced by the contemporary construction of Bodiam Castle , as well as the remodeling of Kenilworth Castle . Turner comes to this conclusion because he believes that John de Macclesfield, as Keeper of the Great Wardrobe, was involved in raising funds to build these castles. Macclesfield Castle was built of sandstone and the remains found in 1985 were in very poor condition due to weathering. The overall size and layout of Macclesfield Castle is not exactly known, but it probably covered an area of ​​128 meters by 36 meters. The vestibule on the west side, which was preserved until 1932, had a floor plan of 4.5 meters by 4.5 meters and was 7.31 meters high. It was built from coarse sandstone quarries and clad with stone. Presumably it had a crenellated parapet. The vaulted interior with the Tudor rose from the time of Henry VII was unusual.

Individual references and comments

  1. ↑ a b Macclesfield Castle . Pastscape. Historic England. English Heritage. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  2. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). Pp. 136-137.
  3. ^ A b c R. C. Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). P. 137.
  4. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). P. 142.
  5. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). P. 143.
  6. ↑ The name "Palace" has survived to this day in the place name "Palace Yard" in Macclesfield.
  7. ^ A b c R. C. Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). P. 138.
  8. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). P. 134.
  9. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). P. 139.
  10. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987).
  11. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). Pp. 134, 144.
  12. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). Pp. 1401-141, 144.
  13. ^ RC Turner: Macclesfield Castle in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society . No. 31 (1987). P. 144.

literature

  • DK Maxfield: Pardoners and property: John Macclesfield, 1351-1422, builder of Macclesfield Castle in Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society . No. 69 (1986). ISSN 0309-359X. Pp. 79-95.

Coordinates: 53 ° 15 '32.1 "  N , 2 ° 7' 27.2"  W.