Kirby Muxloe Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Kerby

In the civil parish of Kirby Muxloe. In the historic county of Leicestershire (Modern Authority of Leicestershire, 1974 county of Leicestershire).

The standing and buried remains of a quadrangular castle and its associated leat and outlet channel. The manor of Kirby Muxloe was owned by the Pakeman family during C14 and the foundations of the hall of their stone-built manor house, constructed within a moat, are visible in the courtyard of the quadrangular castle which replaced it in C15. The foundations of the buttery, pantry and passage to the kitchen remain visible. In circa 1460 Kirby Muxloe Castle passed to the Hastings family through inheritance. Sir William Hastings undertook extensive building programmes at his residences in Leicestershire. Although a licence to crenellate was obtained in 1474, work did not begin at Kirby Muxloe until 1480. The earlier hall was initially retained but demolished later in order to use the stone for the foundations of the new buildings. In 1483, following the death of Edward IV, William Hastings was beheaded by the new monarch, Richard III, at which time Kirby Muxloe Castle stood incomplete and the site was abandoned shortly afterwards. The external dimensions of the site are 110m north east-south west by 90m north west-south east. The water filled moat arms are up to 21m wide and the inner face is revetted in brick. The moat is fed by a 110m long leat which connects with the stream to the south of the castle. The moated island is rectangular in plan and measures 80m by 60m. Although Kirby Muxloe Castle was never completed, the standing remains provide evidence for the layout of the site. Most of the foundations had been laid, the gatehouse largely built, and the western tower wholly built when work was brought to an abrupt halt by the execution of the owner. Except for the stone dressings, it has been constructed throughout in brick and is one of a group of early brick buildings in the Midlands. It is clear from accounts of the time that the towers were intended to carry artillery.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 188965)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK52340456

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 618387
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Web site links
  • http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.63
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/140/kirbymuxloecastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/kirby.html
• Books
  • Cantor, Leonard, 2003, The Scheduled Ancient Monument of Leicestershire and Rutland (Leicester: Kairos Press) p33-4
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p37-9
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p264
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p138-9
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p58-9
    Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain (London) p136
    Pevsner, Nikolaus; revised by Elizabeth Williamson with Geoffrey K Brandwood, 1984, Buildings of England: Leicestershire and Rutland (Harmondsworth) p192-4
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p254
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p249
    O’Neil, B.H.St.J., 1960, Castles and Cannon: A Study of Early Artillery Fortifications in England (Oxford: Claredon Press) p37, plate9
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Gotch, J. Alfred, 1909, The Growth of the English House (London: Batsford) p84-6
    Wall, 1907, in Page, Wm, (ed), VCH Leicestershire Vol1 p268-9
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p414-15
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p236-7
• Journal Articles
  • Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p217
    Cantor, Leonard, 1977-8, 'The Medieval Castles of Leicestershire' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol53 p36 http://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/CastlesPagesfromvolumeLIII-4.pdf
    1933, Archaeological Journal Vol90 p370
    Thompson, L.A.H., 1913-20, 'The Building Accounts of Kirby Muxloe Castle' Transactions of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaeological Society Vol11 p193-345 http://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/KirbyPagesfromVol11pt3-4Sm-2.pdf http://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/KirbyPagesfromXIpartsV-VI.pdf
    Hewitt, F. and Langham, J., 1913-20, 'Kirby Muxloe Castle Transactions of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaeological Society Vol11 p109-14
    Fosbrooke, T.H., 1913-20, 'A short description of the original building accounts of Kirby Muxloe Castle' Transactions of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaeological Society Vol11 p87-8 [records]
    Gotch, 1901, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol7 p149-56
    Thompson, 1866, Transactions of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaeological Society Vol1 p362-7 [slight]
• Guidebooks
  • Goodall, J., 2007, Ashby de la Zouch Castle and Kirby Muxloe Castle (London: English Heritage)
    2001, Kirky Muxloe Castle Leicestershire (London: English Heritage)
    Peers, Sir Charles, 1986, Kirby Muxloe Castle, Leicestershire (London: English Heritage)
    Peers, Sir Charles, 1917, Kirby Muxloe Castle, Leicestershire (HMSO)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Charter Rolls Vol6 p243