Huntington Castle facts for kids

Huntington Castle was an old castle found in the village of Huntington. This village is in Herefordshire, England. The castle was about 2½ miles (4 km) southwest of Kington.

Where the Castle Stood

The castle was built in a very strong spot. It was right on the border between England and Wales. This area was known as the Welsh Marches during Norman and medieval times.

The castle looked over a valley. It had steep, deep ditches on its north and west sides. A small stream also acted like a moat, protecting it.

Taking Over from Kington Castle

Historians believe Huntington Castle was built to replace another nearby castle. That castle was called Kington Castle. It was probably destroyed around the year 1216.

Powerful Families and Kings

Huntington Castle was first owned by the powerful de Braose family. But in 1228, King Henry III took it over. This happened after Reginald de Braose died.

However, the de Braose family must have gotten the castle back. When William de Braose passed away, the castle went to the de Bohun family. This happened because of a marriage.

The castle saw some fighting during the Baron's War in the 1260s. This was a time when powerful barons fought against the king. The de Bohun family owned the castle until their last male family member died in 1372.

The oldest daughter of the de Bohun family was Mary de Bohun. She married Henry, the Earl of Derby. Henry was later made the Duke of Hereford by his cousin, King Richard II. Huntington Castle became Henry's property. He kept it until he became king himself in 1399. He was then known as King Henry IV.

Given to the Stafford Family

After Henry IV became king, Huntington Castle was given to Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford. In 1403, Edmund Stafford was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury. The castle then went to his wife, Anne, Countess of Stafford.

Anne decided to make the castle stronger. She did this to protect it from Owain Glyndŵr. He was leading a big rebellion in Wales at the time.

Owain Glyndŵr's Rebellion

Countess Anne put John Sment in charge of the castle. He was better at managing its defenses than she was. Owain Glyndŵr's forces arrived at the castle. They had just won a big battle at Battle of Bryn Glas.

They did not try to capture the castle itself. Instead, they took cattle from the area. They also took flour from the local mill. Then, they burned the mill to the ground.

After 1415

It seems the castle started to fall apart after this time. Peace returned to the Welsh Marches during the rule of King Henry V. He focused on fighting in France instead.

Back to the Crown

By 1564, the castle was owned by the King or Queen again. But then it changed hands many times over the years.

The English Civil War

By the time of the English Civil War in 1642, the castle was a complete ruin. It could no longer be used as a fortress. Even so, parts of the stone keep (the main tower) were still standing in 1670.

What's Left Today

Today, only the earthworks remain. These are the mounds and ditches that show where the castle once stood. Some parts of the stone walls are also left. The site is now very overgrown with plants. It is listed on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register. This means it is in poor condition and needs care.