Wardour Castle
Encyclopedia
Wardour Castle is located at Wardour
, near Tisbury
in the English
county of Wiltshire
, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Salisbury
. The original castle was partially destroyed during the Civil War
. It is managed by English Heritage
who have designated it as a grade I listed building, and is open to the public.
was built on land previously owned by the St Martin family, but when Sir Lawrence de St Martin died in 1385 it was handed over to John, the fifth Baron Lovell for reasons unknown. It was built using locally quarried Tisbury greensand
, with William Wynford
as the master mason
, after Baron Lovell had been granted permission by Richard II
in 1392. It was inspired by the hexagonal castles then in fashion in parts of the Continent, particularly in France
; but its own six-sided design is unique in Britain
, as is its inclusion of several self-contained guest suites.
After the fall of the Lovell family following Francis Lovell
's support of Richard III
, the castle was confiscated in 1461 and passed through several owners until being bought by Sir Thomas Arundell of Lanherne in 1544. The Arundells
were of the ancient Cornish
family with wide estates in Wiltshire. The castle was confiscated when Sir Thomas—a staunch Roman Catholic—was executed for treason in 1552, but was later acquired by his son, Sir Matthew Arundell, later a Custos Rotulorum of Dorset
, in 1570. The Arundells, led by Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour
subsequently became known as some of the most active of the Catholic landowners in England at the time of the Reformation
; thus they naturally were Royalists
in the English Civil War
. During that conflict, Thomas Arundell, 2nd Baron Arundell of Wardour
was away from home on the King’s business and had asked his wife, Lady Blanche Arundell, aged 61, and with a garrison of 25 trained fighting men to defend the castle. On 2 May 1643 Sir Edward Hungerford
, with 1,300 men of the Parliamentarian
Army, demanded admittance to search for Royalists. He was refused and laid siege
to the castle, turning his guns on the walls and attempted to undermine the walls by mines. After five days the castle was threatened with complete destruction and Lady Blanche agreed to surrender. The castle was placed under the command of Colonel Edmund Ludlow
. Lord Arundell had died of his wounds after the Battle of Lansdowne
, and his son, Henry 3rd Lord Arundell
, laid siege to his own castle, blew up much of it and caused the Parliamentary garrison to surrender in March 1644.
The family slowly recovered power, however, through the English Commonwealth and the Glorious Revolution
, until the eighth Baron, Henry Arundell
, borrowed sufficient funds to finance the rebuilding of the castle. This was done by the prominent Palladian James Paine. Paine built Wardour New Castle
, but left the Wardour Old Castle as an ornamental feature. In stylistic terms the New Castle is not a castle at all, but a symmetrical neoclassical
country house with a main block built around a central staircase hall and two flanking wings. Paine integrated the ruins of the Old Castle into the surrounding park
land, intending it to be viewed as a romantic ruin.
The castles, old and new, have been featured in several motion pictures. The Old Castle appeared in the 1991 Kevin Costner
feature Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
, and the New Castle served as the dance school in Billy Elliot
. The cover of Sting's album Ten Summoner's Tales
was photographed inside Old Wardour Castle.
The castle's ground level was dramatically altered around the 18th century. In the Middle Ages
, it sloped away much more steeply so that the building stood on the end of a low ridge of land. The approach to the main front door is supposed to have been protected by a wide ditch crossed by a drawbridge
, with a portcullis
, though there have been no surviving remains of these. Between the towers at the level of the battlements are the remains of a projecting gallery or barbican
which would have been used to defend the front entrance. Above the portal over the front entrance is the Arundell coat-of-arms and a description of the Arundell's possession of Wardour, erected by Sir Matthew Arundell in 1578 to celebrate his recovery of the property after the family lost it when Sir Thomas Arundell was executed in 1552. Above the coat of arms is the head of Christ in a niche with the inscription: Sub nomine tuo stet genus et domus.
place to a light, spacious sanctuary
. It would have been in the shape of a hexagon, and there would have been four or five storeys formed around it on all sides. In the 1570s, most of the original medieval windows and doors would have been replaced. In the centre of this interior courtyard, there would have been a well. Evidence gathered from other castles from the same era suggests that there would have been an elaborate and impressive roof over the well, carved and painted with the emblems of the Lovells and the Arundells.
The Grotto
of Old Wardour Castle was the last addition to the landscape. It was built in 1792 by Josiah Lane of Tisbury, who at the time was a well-known builder of garden ornaments and other grottos in the area. He was commissioned to build the artificial cave, complete with dripping water, fossils and ferns from brick, plaster and stone from the ruins of the castle.
visitor would have found themselves in a passageway that, on the left, led into the Great Hall
behind a wooden screen with arched openings. This room was the formal heart of the castle, where the whole household would meet for feasts and special occasions. The walls were covered in rich fabrics that concealed machinery that controlled the two portcullises. Matthew Arundell refurbished the Great Hall in the 1570s. A new musicians' gallery was built above the wooden entrance screen. The fireplace was reshaped and new wooden panels were put in place of the wall hangings and banners. The doorway leading from the Great Hall into the Lobby was also redesigned at this point of time. However, he left untouched the tall windows and the old wooden roof, and it is thought that he did this to preserve what was Lord Lovell's great castle.
houses.
Wardour, Wiltshire
Wardour is a settlement in Wiltshire, England, five miles to the south of Hindon. Formerly a parish in its own right, it is now part of the civil parish of Tisbury.The ruins of Wardour Castle are a prominent feature...
, near Tisbury
Tisbury, Wiltshire
The large village of Tisbury lies approximately west of Salisbury in the English county of Wiltshire.With a population at the 2001 census of 2,056 it is an important local centre for communities around the upper River Nadder and Vale of Wardour...
in the English
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...
county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. The original castle was partially destroyed during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. It is managed by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
who have designated it as a grade I listed building, and is open to the public.
History
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...
was built on land previously owned by the St Martin family, but when Sir Lawrence de St Martin died in 1385 it was handed over to John, the fifth Baron Lovell for reasons unknown. It was built using locally quarried Tisbury greensand
Greensand
Greensand or Green sand is either a sand or sandstone, which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment, that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called glauconies and consist of a mixture of mixed-layer clay...
, with William Wynford
William Wynford
William Wynford was one of the most successful English master masons of the 14th century, using the new Perpendicular Gothic style. He is first mentioned in 1360 when at work at Windsor Castle as warden of masons' work...
as the master mason
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
, after Baron Lovell had been granted permission 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...
in 1392. It was inspired by the hexagonal castles then in fashion in parts of the Continent, particularly in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; but its own six-sided design is unique in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, as is its inclusion of several self-contained guest suites.
After the fall of the Lovell family following Francis Lovell
Francis Lovell, 1st Viscount Lovell
Francis Lovell, 9th Baron Lovell, 6th Baron Holand, later 1st Viscount Lovell was an English nobleman. He probably knew the later King Richard III of England from a young age, and was to become his lifelong friend and staunch ally....
's support of Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
, the castle was confiscated in 1461 and passed through several owners until being bought by Sir Thomas Arundell of Lanherne in 1544. The Arundells
Baron Arundell of Wardour
Baron Arundell of Wardour, in the County of Wiltshire, was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1605 for Thomas Arundell, known as "Thomas the Valiant". He was the grandson of Sir Thomas Arundell and Margaret Howard, sister of Queen Catherine Howard. Arundell had already been...
were of the ancient Cornish
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
family with wide estates in Wiltshire. The castle was confiscated when Sir Thomas—a staunch Roman Catholic—was executed for treason in 1552, but was later acquired by his son, Sir Matthew Arundell, later a Custos Rotulorum of Dorset
Custos Rotulorum of Dorset
This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Dorset.* Sir Thomas Arundell bef. 1547–1552* Thomas Howard, 1st Viscount Howard of Bindon bef. 1558–1582* Sir Matthew Arundell bef. 1584–1598...
, in 1570. The Arundells, led by Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour
Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour
Sir Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour was the eldest son of Sir Matthew Arundell of Wardour Castle in Wiltshire , and Margaret Willoughby, the daughter of Sir Henry Willoughby, of Wollaton, Nottinghamshire...
subsequently became known as some of the most active of the Catholic landowners in England at the time of the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
; thus they naturally were Royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. During that conflict, Thomas Arundell, 2nd Baron Arundell of Wardour
Thomas Arundell, 2nd Baron Arundell of Wardour
Thomas Arundell, 2nd Baron Arundell of Wardour was an English nobleman son of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour and Lady Mary Wriothesley....
was away from home on the King’s business and had asked his wife, Lady Blanche Arundell, aged 61, and with a garrison of 25 trained fighting men to defend the castle. On 2 May 1643 Sir Edward Hungerford
Edward Hungerford (roundhead)
Sir Edward Hungerford , parliamentarian; eldest son of Sir Anthony Hungerford of Black Bourton; K.B., 1625; High Sheriff of Wiltshire, 1631; M.P., Chippenham, 1620, and in Short Parliament and the Long Parliament. Colonel of a regiment in the Parliamentary army. Occupied and plundered Salisbury in...
, with 1,300 men of the Parliamentarian
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
Army, demanded admittance to search for Royalists. He was refused and laid siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
to the castle, turning his guns on the walls and attempted to undermine the walls by mines. After five days the castle was threatened with complete destruction and Lady Blanche agreed to surrender. The castle was placed under the command of Colonel Edmund Ludlow
Edmund Ludlow
Edmund Ludlow was an English parliamentarian, best known for his involvement in the execution of Charles I, and for his Memoirs, which were published posthumously in a rewritten form and which have become a major source for historians of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. After service in the English...
. Lord Arundell had died of his wounds after the Battle of Lansdowne
Battle of Lansdowne
The English Civil War battle of Lansdowne was fought on 5 July 1643, near Bath, southwest England. Although the Royalists under Lord Hopton forced the Parliamentarians under Sir William Waller to retreat from their hilltop position, they suffered so many casualties themselves and were left so...
, and his son, Henry 3rd Lord Arundell
Henry Arundell, 3rd Baron Arundell of Wardour
Henry Arundell, 3rd Baron Arundell of Wardour, PC was a Peer of England during the 17th century, and the most famous of the Lords Arundell of Wardour. He served as Lord Privy Seal and Lord High Steward, and was appointed to the Privy Council...
, laid siege to his own castle, blew up much of it and caused the Parliamentary garrison to surrender in March 1644.
The family slowly recovered power, however, through the English Commonwealth and the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
, until the eighth Baron, Henry Arundell
Henry Arundell, 8th Baron Arundell of Wardour
Henry Arundell, 8th Baron Arundell of Wardour was a British nobleman in the 18th century. A portrait was painted of him by the famous artist Sir Joshua Reynolds....
, borrowed sufficient funds to finance the rebuilding of the castle. This was done by the prominent Palladian James Paine. Paine built Wardour New Castle
New Wardour Castle
New Wardour Castle is an English country house at Wardour, near Tisbury in Wiltshire, built for the Arundell family. The house is of a Palladian style, designed by the architect James Paine with additional pieces from Giacomo Quarenghi, who was a principal architect of the Imperial Russian capital...
, but left the Wardour Old Castle as an ornamental feature. In stylistic terms the New Castle is not a castle at all, but a symmetrical neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
country house with a main block built around a central staircase hall and two flanking wings. Paine integrated the ruins of the Old Castle into the surrounding park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
land, intending it to be viewed as a romantic ruin.
The castles, old and new, have been featured in several motion pictures. The Old Castle appeared in the 1991 Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
feature Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood...
, and the New Castle served as the dance school in Billy Elliot
Billy Elliot
Billy Elliot is a 2000 British drama film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry. Set in the fictional town of "Everington" in the real County Durham, UK, it stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, an aspiring dancer, Gary Lewis as his coal miner father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older...
. The cover of Sting's album Ten Summoner's Tales
Ten Summoner's Tales
Ten Summoner's Tales is the fourth solo studio album by the rock musician Sting. The title is a combined pun of his given name, Gordon Sumner, and a character in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the summoner...
was photographed inside Old Wardour Castle.
Front Door and Entrance
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, it sloped away much more steeply so that the building stood on the end of a low ridge of land. The approach to the main front door is supposed to have been protected by a wide ditch crossed by a drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
, with a portcullis
Portcullis
A portcullis is a latticed grille made of wood, metal, fibreglass or a combination of the three. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege...
, though there have been no surviving remains of these. Between the towers at the level of the battlements are the remains of a projecting gallery or barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
which would have been used to defend the front entrance. Above the portal over the front entrance is the Arundell coat-of-arms and a description of the Arundell's possession of Wardour, erected by Sir Matthew Arundell in 1578 to celebrate his recovery of the property after the family lost it when Sir Thomas Arundell was executed in 1552. Above the coat of arms is the head of Christ in a niche with the inscription: Sub nomine tuo stet genus et domus.
The Central Courtyard
When the south-west side of the castle was blown out in an explosion in the 17th century, the courtyard would have changed from a dark and claustrophobicClaustrophobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms...
place to a light, spacious sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
. It would have been in the shape of a hexagon, and there would have been four or five storeys formed around it on all sides. In the 1570s, most of the original medieval windows and doors would have been replaced. In the centre of this interior courtyard, there would have been a well. Evidence gathered from other castles from the same era suggests that there would have been an elaborate and impressive roof over the well, carved and painted with the emblems of the Lovells and the Arundells.
The Grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
of Old Wardour Castle was the last addition to the landscape. It was built in 1792 by Josiah Lane of Tisbury, who at the time was a well-known builder of garden ornaments and other grottos in the area. He was commissioned to build the artificial cave, complete with dripping water, fossils and ferns from brick, plaster and stone from the ruins of the castle.
The Banqueting House
The Arundells returned to Old Wardour in the 1680s after having been forced to leave the castle in 1644. They built a new, smaller house just outside the castle wall which was known as the Banqueting House. It was another 100 years before they built and moved into New Wardour Castle, so in the meantime the family began to develop the grounds around the Old Castle. The Banqueting House was built in around 1773-4 in the mock-Gothic style that was popular at the time, as a hall where the Arundells could entertain their guests. The House had a coloured fireplace of marble brought from the smaller house, and the stained glass in the windows is believed to have come from the New Wardour Castle, when the chapel there was refurbished in 1786. It is thought that the Banqueting House was designed and partially built by James Paine, a local craftsman who was also commissioned to design the New Wardour House.The Great Hall
At the top of the stairs leading from the courtyard, any medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
visitor would have found themselves in a passageway that, on the left, led into the Great Hall
Great Hall
Great Hall may refer to* Great hall, the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or large manor house* Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square, Beijing* Great Hall of the University of Sydney, Australia* Cooper_Union#The_Great_Hall, New York...
behind a wooden screen with arched openings. This room was the formal heart of the castle, where the whole household would meet for feasts and special occasions. The walls were covered in rich fabrics that concealed machinery that controlled the two portcullises. Matthew Arundell refurbished the Great Hall in the 1570s. A new musicians' gallery was built above the wooden entrance screen. The fireplace was reshaped and new wooden panels were put in place of the wall hangings and banners. The doorway leading from the Great Hall into the Lobby was also redesigned at this point of time. However, he left untouched the tall windows and the old wooden roof, and it is thought that he did this to preserve what was Lord Lovell's great castle.
The Lobby
The Lobby was a narrow room which was used to entertain guests with sweetmeats after the meal while the tables were being cleared in the Great Hall to create space for dancing. Such spaces were popular features of mediaeval houses. Matthew Arundell had the room fitted with new fireplaces in the 1570s and altered the stairs in the North Tower at the same time to give a more private approach to the upper rooms.The Upper Rooms
Today, very little remains of the upper rooms, which once would have been the most inviting part of the castle. Like the Great Hall, they were high rooms with intricate wooden roofs. Each room would have had two tall windows looking out upon the landscape and a third looking into the courtyard. By 1605, the upper rooms had been converted to a gallery, a long room with many windows, as was popular in the upper floors of ElizabethanElizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
houses.