Warblington Castle

Located near Langstone in Hampshire,[2] the site was home to a medieval manor built in 1515 and 1525 and mostly destroyed in 1644.[3]

The Saxon settlement, established here in the 7th century, is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086,[4] indicating a population of about 120.[5] The owner of the property at the time was Roger earl of Shrewsbury; after his death in 1094, it was inherited by his second son, Hugh. Records indicate that the owner in 1186 was William de Courci.[6]

Some sources claim that the manor received a licence to crenellate in 1340[3] but this is disputed.[7] The manor passed through several hands before coming into the possession of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick in the 15th century.[8] Subsequently, the villagers were removed with the land becoming a private deer park for Neville.[5]

With the execution of Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick by Henry VII the manor was confiscated and passed to the crown.[8] In 1513 Henry VIII gave the manor to Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury who had a new moated manor built on the site.[8] After Margaret Pole was attainted for treason temporary grants of the manor were made to William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton and Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton.[2] Henry VIII then granted the manor to Sir Richard Cotton.[9] In October 1551, Mary of Guise the widow of James V of Scotland stayed a night in the castle as the guest of Sir Richard Cotton.[10] Edward VI visited the manor in 1552.[9] Elizabeth I may have visited for two days in 1586.[2] The Cotton family continued to hold the house until the English civil war.[9]

In January 1643 Parliamentarians under Colonel Norton garrisoned the house with a force of between 40 and 80 men.[9] It was besieged and taken by Lord Hopton although Colonel Norton managed to escape.[9][11]

The Cotton family were Royalists which resulted in the manor being largely demolished by Parliamentarian forces.[9] One turret of the gatehouse was left as an aid to navigation for ships in Langstone channel.[8] The turret is octagonal in form and four stories in height.[2] It is largely built from brick with stone dressing and battlements.[12] After The Restoration, the property was returned to the Cotton family who built a farmhouse near the ruin.[1] The latter is now Grade II listed.[13]

Today, the turret, the arch of the gate and the drawbridge support in the moat still survive.[3] The land remains private property.[14] The remains of the castle is a grade II* listed building and a scheduled Monument.[7] The Listing specifics define it as a "gateway tower, including the moulded stone arch of the gate, some of the south wall of the tower, a complete south-east octagonal stair turret, of 5 storeys, and part of the east wall (facing the courtyard)".[15]

The castle is located within the Warblington Conservation Area which also contains the adjoining Old Farm House,[16] an old cemetery, the Grade I listed St Thomas à Becket Church, Warblington[17] and the Old Rectory.[18]

As of May 2020, the owners of the castle were retired Olympic rowers Tom and Diana Bishop who reside in the seven bedroom Old Farm House on the property.[19] At that time, the property also included four acres of gardens, an orchard and a swimming pool.[16]

• Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
• List of castles in England