Huntington Castle
Encyclopedia
Huntington Castle was situated in the village of Huntingdon
in Herefordshire
, England
, 2½ miles south-west of Kington
.
is sited on a commanding position on the modern day England
Wales
border in what was the Welsh Marches
in Norman
and medieval times. It overlooks the valley, protected by steep ravines to the north and west, and moated by the brook.
which was probably destroyed in 1216.
following the death of Reginald de Braose
. However the castle must have been returned to the de Braose family because on the death of William de Braose it passed by marriage to the de Bohun family and saw some fighting during the Baron's War of the 1260's. It remained in this family until the death of its last male heir in 1372. The eldest daughter of the family Mary de Bohun
married Henry, Earl of Derby
who was elevated to the rank of Duke of Hereford
by Richard II
, his cousin. It remained his property until his own accession to the throne as Henry IV
in 1399.
. In 1403 he was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
and possession passed to his widow, Anne, Countess of Stafford who then refortified the castle against Owain Glyndŵr
.
, they simply drove the cattle away, took flour from the local mill and then burned the mill to the ground.
during the reign of King Henry V with its focus on conflict abroad with France.
in 1642 it was a total ruin as a fortress. By 1670 the stone keep
was still extant. Now only the earthworks and some portions of stonework remain. The site is overgrown.
Huntington, Herefordshire
-History:Huntington was a Medieval borough founded as a replacement to nearby Kington which had been destroyed in 1216.Huntington was built as a new borough and was apparently in the first breath of life in 1228 when it was first mentioned...
in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 2½ miles south-west of Kington
Kington, Herefordshire
Kington is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,597.-Location:Kington is near the Wales-England border and, despite being on the western side of Offa's Dyke, has been English for over a thousand years. The town is in the...
.
Natural Site
The castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
is sited on a commanding position on the modern day England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
border in what was the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
in Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
and medieval times. It overlooks the valley, protected by steep ravines to the north and west, and moated by the brook.
Successor to Kington Castle
It is likely that this castle was built as the successor of nearby Kington CastleKington Castle
Kington Castle stood in the medieval market town of Kington in Herefordshire, England .- Welsh Marches Border Castle :The castle was sited to the north west of the present town of Kington above the Back Brook. Around the end of the 11th century William Rufus granted the estates in and around...
which was probably destroyed in 1216.
Powerful Barons, Kings & Future Royalty
The castle had been in the hands of the de Braose family but was seized in 1228 by Henry IIIHenry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
following the death of Reginald de Braose
Reginald de Braose
Reginald de Braose was one of the sons of William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber and Matilda, also known as Maud de St. Valery and Lady de la Haie. Her other children included William and Giles....
. However the castle must have been returned to the de Braose family because on the death of William de Braose it passed by marriage to the de Bohun family and saw some fighting during the Baron's War of the 1260's. It remained in this family until the death of its last male heir in 1372. The eldest daughter of the family Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V. Mary was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne.-Early life:...
married Henry, Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
who was elevated to the rank of Duke of Hereford
Duke of Hereford
There has only been one Duke of Hereford: The title was created in the Peerage of England for Richard II's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, due to his support for the King in his struggle against their uncle Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester...
by Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
, his cousin. It remained his property until his own accession to the throne as Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
in 1399.
Granted to Stafford by King Henry IV
The castle then passed to Edward de Stafford, Earl of BuckinghamEarl of Buckingham
The peerage title Earl of Buckingham was created several times in the Peerage of England.It was first created in 1097 for Walter Giffard, but became extinct in 1164 with the death of the second earl. It may have been created again in 1164 for Richard de Clare , who died without issue in 1176...
. In 1403 he was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury
Battle of Shrewsbury
The Battle of Shrewsbury was a battle fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King, Henry IV, and a rebel army led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland....
and possession passed to his widow, Anne, Countess of Stafford who then refortified the castle against Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
.
Owain Glyndwr's Rebellion
She appointed John Sment as Constable of the castle, better placed than her to expertly man its defences. Glyndwr's forces came upon the castle flush after their total victory at the Battle of Bryn GlasBattle of Bryn Glas
The Battle of Bryn Glas, was fought on 22 June 1402, near the towns of Knighton and Presteigne in Powys...
, they simply drove the cattle away, took flour from the local mill and then burned the mill to the ground.
After 1415
It appears that the castle then went into decline. Peace was restored to the Welsh MarchesWelsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
during the reign of King Henry V with its focus on conflict abroad with France.
Reversion to the Crown
By 1564 it was in the possession of the Crown but then passed through a succession of hands.The Civil War
By the time of the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1642 it was a total ruin as a fortress. By 1670 the stone keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
was still extant. Now only the earthworks and some portions of stonework remain. The site is overgrown.