Tilsworth Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tilsworth Castle |
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| Tilsworth, Bedfordshire, England | |
 Tilsworth Castle
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| Coordinates | 51°54′33″N 0°35′00″W / 51.909153°N 0.583324°W |
| Type | Motte-and-bailey |
Imagine a place where castles and grand houses stood for centuries! Tilsworth Castle isn't just one building, but two important historical sites. Both are located near the village of Tilsworth in Bedfordshire, England. These sites tell a long story of English history.
Contents
Discovering Warren Knoll Motte
The first "Tilsworth Castle" is now known as Warren Knoll Motte. This was a very old type of castle called a motte-and-bailey. It was built even before the Normans invaded England in 1066!
Early History of Warren Knoll
Originally, this site was a strong base for the Anglo-Saxons. It was owned by a person named Levric. This early castle was made of wood. It likely had extra walls or defenses on its east and north sides.
Warren Knoll in the Domesday Book
The site was even mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. This was a famous survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror. At that time, it was called "Tilsworth Manor" and was owned by William Peverel.
Later Owners and Decline
By the mid-1200s, the castle belonged to the Morteyn family. Seven members of this family owned it over time. In 1362, it passed to a cousin, Richard Chamberlain. The Chamberlain family then owned the manor for many years.
Around the 1400s, a new manor house was built nearby. The old wooden castle at Warren Knoll slowly fell apart. Today, only faint marks in the ground, called cropmarks, and earthworks remain. The site was explored by archaeologists in 1972. It is now protected as a Scheduled monument.
Exploring Tilsworth Manor
The second "Tilsworth Castle" was a fortified manor house. It was built right next to Warren Knoll, but on lower ground. This manor house was built in the 1400s and had a moat around it.
Changes to the Manor House
The manor was enclosed by a special law in 1767. Around 1800, this 15th-century manor house was taken down. A new manor house was then built in the same spot.
The Chamberlain and Fowler Families
The first fortified manor was probably built by Richard Chamberlain, who died in 1496. His son, Edward Chamberlain, later gave it to his grandfather, Sir Richard Fowler, in 1528. The Fowler family owned it for three generations.
In 1606, Richard Fowler sold the manor to Sir Anthony Chester. This sale happened after a strange event in 1600. Richard Fowler was put in the Tower of London because of a fake letter. The letter wrongly said he was part of a plan to poison Queen Elizabeth I. Later, Richard's young wife, her lover, and her brother were found guilty of making the fake letter.
The Chester and Page-Turner Families
The estate then belonged to eight members of the Chester family. In 1838, Charles Chester sold it to Sir Gregory Osborn Page-Turner. The Page-Turner family owned the property until 1898.
Tilsworth Manor Today
Today, a third manor house stands on the site. It was built in the 1800s by a member of the Chester family. This modern manor still has the original 15th-century gate tower and the old moat. Tilsworth Manor is now a private home. However, the Tilsworth Fête, a local festival, is held in its grounds every June.
This current site of "Tilsworth Castle" is also protected as a Scheduled monument.
