HERTFORD CASTLE

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Motte and bailey castle, late 11th century and later. The Anglo-Saxon chronicle mentions a burh founded by Edward the Elder in 913, which may be on the site of the castle. Saxon pottery has been found on the site.

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[ TL 3250 1249 ] Hertford Castle [G.T.] (1)

[TL 3255 1245 ] Wall [G.T.]
[TL 3249 1243 ] Tower [G.T.] (Remains of) [T.I.]. (2)

Hertford Castle. The keep mount is flat-topped, 22 ft. high, and stands at the N. angle of the castle. The original ditch is now filled up, and there is no trace of masonry. The Bailey, covering 2 1/3 acres, is defended on the E. and S. by a curtain wall, partly original. The wall has at the S. angle, the remains of a small octagonal turret, with a pointed doorway, apparently of the 14th c., now blocked. On the W. side of the Bailey is a late 15th c. Gatehouse. A mass of flint rubble probably part of an earlier gatehouse has been used as a foundation on the E. side. The building was much altered in the 18th c. when a large block was added to it on the S.E.; alterations were also made in the 19th c. Beyond the curtain wall, on the S., are the remains of a broad outer ditch, now partly filled up and covered by buildings and gardens. This ditch formerly encircled the whole castle; a bifurcation on the S.W. formed a small outer bailey or barbican, which is now completely destroyed, together with the rest of the defences and the original entrance on that side. (3)

Hertford Castle. "A small artificial mound ... still exists at the extreme northern angle of the curtain wall, but there is no evidence that this was ever surrounded by a separate moat. The earthwork defences consisted of a double ditch on three sides, which communicated at either end with the main course of the Lea. A shell keep similar to that at Berkhampsted [Herts. 33 NW 1] evidently crowned the mound. The masonry parts of the castle ... were apparently begun by Henry II in 1170."(a) The work was evidently completed in 1174.

The existing remains belong entirely to the inner ward. The postern has a pointed arch, dating from the 13th century. The curtain wall is probably somewhat earlier in date. In the centre of its western face is a tudor gatehouse. Traces of the western or outer arch of the gate house are to be seen behind the modern porch.

The internal arrangements of the castle are perserved in an Elizabethan plan at the Public Record Office, prepared by Henry Hawthorne about 1582 or 1592, which shows the main apartments grouped round a central courtyard, with the great hall on the eastern side. From the 14th to the 17th centuries there are a series of surveys of the castle. The earliest of these dated 1327 (b) and the latest 1609-10 (c) "The greater part of the buildings were pulled down early in the reign of James I. In a survey dated 1609-10 it is stated that 'there are standing upon part of the site of the said castle one fair gatehouse of brick, one tower of brick, and the old walls of the said castle and also three old houses without the walls.' With the exception of the three old houses and the tower of brick, evidently the south-east bastion. This survey represents fairly accurately the still existing remains of the castle." (4)

Hertford Castle. The Saxon Chronicle relates that in the year 913, Edward the Elder threw up two burhs at Hertford, one on the north bank of the river [see also TL 31 SW 42 ] and one on the south bank. The latter has been preserved by its incorporation into the later castle.

Edward's Burh may have been preceded by an earlier earthwork, for Hertford is reputed to stand on the site of a chief town of the Trinobantes. (5)

Hertford Castle "according to Henry of Huntingdon (d) was built by Edward the Elder about the year 905, in the 9th year of his reign ... and we learn from the Saxon Chronicle (e) that the same Prince began the building of the northern and southern parts of the town in ... 913 ... William the Conqueror gave the custody of the castle ... to Peter de Valoignes." (6)

Acquisition of a stretch of Hertford Castle moat to be preserved. (7)

History and Description of Hertford Castle, Photographs and Plans. [see AO/60/131/4,5,6,7 & 8, and AO/60/132/1 & 6.] (8)

Hertford Castle. Grade II. "Late 15th c. rectangular Gatehouse of brick with turrets at the corners. Interlacing arcading on the brickwork immediately below its battlements. The lancet windows apparently reconstructed in late 18th c. with stone dressings and labels. A large extension, of the same height, added to the east in 18c. Extensive remains of the curtain wall and a small tower of ? 14 c. survive around the eastern edge of the Castle grounds. These are of flint rubble." (9)

Nos. 4-16 Water Lane. A block of 2-storey cottages, developed from what must formerly have been the stable offices of the castle. (10)

The remains of Hertford Castle comprise motte, gatehouse (extensively added to), curtain wall with remains of octagonal tower and postern gate at SW angle, and remains of the broad outer ditch(es) visible in a small public garden at TL32511241 between the south side of the curtain wall and Castle Street. The stable offices, now cottages, centred TL 3242 1239 are of 18th c. date; the NW front carries lancet window details of a similar type to those borne by the gatehouse.
Some amendment to the 25" A.M. has been requested. (11)

Excavations on the inner ditch revealed traces of post-holes with Saxo-Norman pottery suggesting a timber palisade had existed prior to the construction of the flint walls. The ditch was filled after the domestic buildings had been demolished early in the 17th century and the castle had become a private residence; by early 19th century all traces had disappeared. Finds from the post-holes included hand-made Saxon pottery and Roman tiles. (12)

No change to previous field report. Published 1:1250 survey (13) correct.

Restoration of the Castle Gatehouse revealed that Edward IV's building of 1465 survived largely intact under a Georgian facade constructed by the Earl of Hilsborough in 1801. The Gatehouse has now been restored to its 15th century form. (14)

Excavations at the rear of 12-14 Parliament Square showed that the late 12th century curtain wall of the castle was built on top of, and presumably at the same time as, a bank of earth excavated from the inner ditch. As this bank does not exist near the Norman motte, whose palisade defences had no bank, it suggests an extension to the castle when the stone walls were built. (15-16)

TL 325125. Hertford Castle - scheduled. (17)

(TL 325125) Hertford Castle (NR) (remains of) (NAT). (18)

Hertford Castle. Probably built in the C11th, the walls ca.1170-4. Taken by the supporters of Louis of France in 1216. The gatehouse was built 1461-5. Plan still discernible. (Gazetter entry with further bibliography). (19)

Hertford Castle is not documented before 1171-4 although it was undoubtedly built by William I soon after the Conquest. It remained in Royal hands with a few minor interruptions, throughout the Mediaeval period, until Elizabeth Woodville took possession of it in 1465. It was never a major royal residence, but during the reign of Elizabeth, the law courts were removed to Hertford from London following outbreaks of plague in the capital in 1564, 1582 and 1592. A plan of the castle made circa 1564 by Henry Hawthorne shows that the King's Bench was accomodated in the Great Hall, the Court of Common Pleas in the kitchen area, the Exchequer, Court of Requests and Court of Wards were allocated to other buildings. From the thinness of the wals on the plan, and from the accounts, it is clear that these buildings wre all timber structures. Following Elizabeth's death, it was abandoned as a royal residence, and the castle was demolished soon after 1609. (20,21)

Limited excavations within the outer bailey uncovered some structural evidence, including the remains of at least two stone buildings and a cobbled surface. The courses of the inner and outer castle ditches were confirmed, and a possible additional ditch defending the outer bailey was identified. (22)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" Prov. Edn., 1921-46.

( 2) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25" 1923.

( 3) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1910 An inventory of the historical monuments in Hertfordshire

Page(s)113

( 4a) General reference

Pipe Rolls 17 Henry II (Pipe R. Soc.) 118.

( 4b) General reference

Exchequer Accounts bundle. 465, no.15.

( 4c) General reference

Duchy of Lanc. Special Com. no. 813.

( 4) edited by William Page 1912 The Victoria history of the county of Hertford, volume three

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)503-6

( 5) by Geo T Clark 1884 Medieval military architecture in England. Volume 2

Page(s)119-23

( 6d) General reference

Hen. Huntingdon. lib. 5, fol. 353.

( 6e) General reference

Chron. Sax. fo. 103.

( 6) General reference

History of Hertfordshire vol. 2, 1821, pp. 138-141. (R. Clutterbuck).

( 7) Transactions of the East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society

Newsletter No. 2, 1951.

( 8) General reference

The Chronicles of Hertford Castle. 1947, illustrated. (H. C. Andrews).

( 9f) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1910 An inventory of the historical monuments in Hertfordshire

Page(s)113

( 9g) edited by William Page 1912 The Victoria history of the county of Hertford, volume three

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)503

( 9h) General reference

National Buildings Record

( 9i) General reference

Ministry of Works and Buildings

( 9) General reference

Min. Town & Country Planning. Ref. No. 1204/11/A. April, 1948, p.1.

(10) General reference

Min. Town & Country Planning. Ref. No. 1204/11/A. April, 1948, p.21-2

(11) Field Investigators Comments

F1 CFW 12-AUG-60

(12) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

16, 1972 Page(s)181

(13) Field Investigators Comments

F2 JRL 19-DEC-75

(14) St. Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society and East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Hertfordshire archaeology

G Moodey 3, 1973 Page(s)100-9

(15) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

19, 1975 Page(s)239

(16) St. Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society and East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Hertfordshire archaeology

M R Petchey 5, 1977 Page(s)168-9

(17) General reference

DOE (IAM) List Anc Mons 3 1978 52

(18) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10 000 1978

(19) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

Page(s)220

(20) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 2 : the Middle Ages

Page(s)677-681

(21) by H M Colvin, D R Ransome and John Summerson 1975 The history of the King's Works, volume 3 : 1485-1660 (part 1)

Page(s)254-7

(22) St. Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society and East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Hertfordshire archaeology

Zeepvat RJ and Cooper-Reade 12, 1994-6 Page(s)15-40

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HERTFORD CASTLE
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Castle gatehouse, subsequently residence, Local Authority offices since 1912. circa 1460-65, altered and extended late 18th-20th centuries, interior r...

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