Bishop's Stortford Castle
Encyclopedia
Bishop's Stortford Castle, which is sometimes also known as Waytemore Castle, was in the town of Bishop's Stortford
in Hertfordshire
.
This began as a motte and bailey castle in the time of William the Conqueror
. A rectangular great tower was added on the motte in the 12th century. It was improved in the 13th century during the reign of King John
and a licence to crenellate was granted in the mid 14th century. It was slighted after the Civil War
. In the 17th century it was used as a prison
.
Only earthworks, the large motte and foundations of a square tower can now be seen.
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire in the county of Hertfordshire in England. It is situated just west of the M11 motorway, on the county boundary with Essex and is the closest large town to London Stansted Airport and part of the...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
.
This began as a motte and bailey castle in the time of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. A rectangular great tower was added on the motte in the 12th century. It was improved in the 13th century during the reign of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
and a licence to crenellate was granted in the mid 14th century. It was slighted after the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. In the 17th century it was used as a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
.
Only earthworks, the large motte and foundations of a square tower can now be seen.