Caverswall Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Caverswell; Carswell; Cavereswelle

In the civil parish of Caverswall. In the historic county of Staffordshire (Modern Authority of Staffordshire, 1974 county of Staffordshire).

Manor house, probably dating back to saxon times. A possible licence to crenellate is mentioned in a document of circa 1230 and a licence to crenellate was granted in 1275. The castle is a roughly oblong enclosure with four polygonal angle towers, which, with the walls, do not stand to full height. A house was built into the castle circa 1615 by Matthew Cradock. Further rebuilding work took place in C19. A moat survives which has been landscaped to form pleasure grounds.
Some sources, probably reflecting Lewis's typographical histories, date the building to Edward II. This is erroneous and was probably a simple typographical error, much repeated.

A possible Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1230/31.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1275 Nov 7.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ95084281

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape Defra ELS number; 77795

• Web site links
  • http://www.caverswall-castle.co.uk/history.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/caverswall.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern) p16-7
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p226
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p37
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p449-50
    Pevsner, N., 1974, The Buildings of England: Staffordshire (London, Penguin) p95
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Lynam, C., 1908, in Page, Wm. (ed), VCH Staffordshire Vol1 p352-3 [plan]
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p390-1
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p233, 403
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol5 p39-40
• Journal Articles
  • 2005-6, 'Caverswall Castle, Staffordshire' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol 19 p122-3
    Cantor, Leonard, 1966, 'The Medieval Castles of Staffordshire' North Staffordshire Journal of Field Studies Vol6 p38-46
    Johnstone, J.D., 1950, Transactions of North Staffordshire Field Club Vol84 p121
    Blizzard, 1937-8, Transactions of North Staffordshire Field Club Vol72 p49-61
    Tipping, 1911, Country Life Vol29 p886-95
    Masefield, 1888, Transactions of North Staffordshire Field Club p59-61 [slight history]
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • C143/2/43 (Chancery: Inquisitions Ad Quod Damnum, Henry III to Richard III c1216-c1485)
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1272-81) p109
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/warkseng.html#staf12]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p443
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol4 p129; Vol5 p19