Nottingham Castle

In the civil parish of Nottingham. In the historic county of Nottinghamshire (Modern Authority of Nottingham; City of, 1974 county of Nottinghamshire).

Medieval motte and bailey castle. Built in 1068, excavations indicate that it was strengthed with a curtain wall 1184-7 and that a round tower was constructed circa 1250. It became one of the four principal English castles, and the main castle in the North Midlands. Extensive restoration was carried out from 1560-70 but it fell into disrepair during the reign of James 1 (1603-25). In 1651 all fortifications were demolished bar the gatehouse and the base of Edward IVs tower, and the site was cleared in 1674. A mansion was built on the site and is now used as a museum and art gallery. It is believed to be on the site of a possible Iron Age promontory fort. Scheduled.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 455797; 455795; 455796)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK569395

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

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 317521
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.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/129/nottinghamcastle.htm
    http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/gill1904/preface.htm
    http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/foulds.htm
    http://www.thorotonsociety.org.uk/gateway/places/castles/castles1.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/nottingham.html
    http://www.nottingham21.co.uk/parks_castle_thumbnail.htm
• Books
  • Thurley, Simon, 2004, Lost Buildings of Britain (Viking)
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p92-6
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p288
    Drage, C.J., 1999 (2edn; 1edn pub 1990), Nottingham Castle: A Place Full Royal (Nottingham: Nottingham Civic Society and The Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p202
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press) p4, 10, 18, 19, 23, 35, 74
    Smith, Michael E., 1992, Castles and Manor Houses in and around Derbyshire (Derby)
    Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p380-1
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p269
    Pevsner, Nikolaus; revised by Elizabeth Williamson, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire (London) p130-1
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works Vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London) p283-6
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p262
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p755-65
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p176-8
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Stevenson, W., 1906, VCH Nottinghamshire Vol1 p291-3
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p454-9
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p336
    Brown, c. 1878, Historical Sketch of Nottingham Castle (Nottingham)
    Hine, 1876, Nottingham, its Castle etc. (London)
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p33-6
• Journal Articles
  • Marshall, P., 2006, 'Three urban castles and their communities in the east midlands: Lincoln, Nottingham and Newark' Chateau Gaillard Vol22 p259-65
    Foulds, T., 2004, ' 'Old road into the park': Nottingham Castle, Stamford Hill and William Stretton' Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vol108 p125-42
    Kinsley, Gavin, 2003, 'Recent Archaeological Work on the Medieval Castle at Nottingham’ Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vol107 p83-94
    Foulds, Trevor, 1991, 'The siege of Nottingham Castle in 1194’ Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vo95 p20-28
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106 p371-392 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28199104%29106%3A419%3C371%3AAHOCRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q
    Drage, C.J., 1989, 'Nottingham Castle: A Place Full Royal' Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vol93 [entire volume]
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p314
    Drage, C.J., 1983, ‘Nottingham Castle' Château Gaillard Vol11 p117–27
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1982, ‘Medieval Britain in 1981' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p202-3 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Drage, C.J., 1981, ‘Nottingham Castle: the gatehouse of the outer bailey’ Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vol85 p48-55
    Drage, C.J., 1979-80, ‘Nottingham Castle’ CBA Newsletter and Calendar Vol3 p136
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1979, ‘Medieval Britain in 1978' Medieval Archaeology Vol23 p262 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    MacCormick, A., 1978, 'Recent Archaeological work in Nottingham’ Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vo82 p74-5
    Young, C.S.B., 1978, ‘Nottingham’ East Midlands Archaeological Bulletin Vol12 p44-6
    Drage, C.J., 1978, ‘Nottingham Castle’ East Midlands Archaeological Bulletin Vol12 p46
    Drage, C.J., 1978, ‘Excavations at Nottingham Castle, 1976-8; an interim report’ Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vol82 p72-3
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1978, ‘Medieval Britain in 1977' Medieval Archaeology Vol22 p169 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Drage, C.J., 1977-8, ‘Nottingham Castle’ CBA Newsletter and Calendar Vol1 p116
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1977, ‘Medieval Britain in 1976' Medieval Archaeology Vol21 p235, 238 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    Gregory, F.W.C., 1944, ‘The plan of the medieval castle at Nottingham’ Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vol48 p1-31
    1937, Thoroton Society, Excavation Section Vol1 p6-11
    Dobson, F.W., 1909, 'Nottingham Castle. Recent Explorations and some Historical Notes' Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vol13
    1904, Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire p39-41
    Dobson, F.W., 1904 July 18, Nottinghamshire Guardian
    Dobson, F.W., 1903 Oct 31, Nottinghamshire Guardian
    Green, Emanuel, 1901 Dec, 'A History of Nottingham Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol58 p365-97
    Hine, 1887, Association of Architectural Societies Vol19 p32-42
    Hine, 1864, Association of Architectural Societies Vol7 p186-94
• Guidebooks
  • Sheffield, J., 1984. Nottingham Castle. (Privately published)
    Hamilton, A., 1980, Nottingham’s royal castle. (Nottingham: Nottingham Civic Society)
    Briscoe and Lever, 1888, Nottingham Castle (Nottingham)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Patent Rolls 16 Henry VI. m 19
    Patent Rolls 22 Henry VI. m 8d
    The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; Worcester Chronicle AD1067 http://omacl.org/Anglo/ [Text based on Everyman Press edn of 1912]
    Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p380-2
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Speed, John, 1611-12, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain [http://faculty.oxy.edu/horowitz/home/johnspeed/Cities21.htm]
    William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/lincseng.html#nots3]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p355-6
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p95-6 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl01