Kenilworth Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Killingworth; Kenelworth; Kenelworde; Killingsworth

In the civil parish of Kenilworth. In the historic county of Warwickshire (Modern Authority of Warwickshire, 1974 county of Warwickshire).

The original castle is thought to have been a motte and bailey which was replaced by a fortified keep and a curtain wall towards the end of C12. In 1173-4 Kenilworth Castle was garrisoned for Henry II and became a royal castle which was to be refortified and redesigned over several centuries. In 1253 Henry III granted the castle to Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, but following his death in 1265, the castle was surrendered to the king who granted it to his younger son, the Earl of Lancaster. Following John of Gaunt's marriage to Blanche, daughter of the first Duke of Lancaster, Kenilworth Castle passed to him in 1361 and he was responsible for upgrading it to become, in effect a royal palace. In 1533 the castle was granted to John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, but following his execution, it returned to the Crown. The grant was renewed to his son, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester and favourite of Elizabeth I, who made extensive changes.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 307721)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP27847220

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 333827; 1106407; 1106511; 1106494
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 3200; 5381; 5383 '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.

• Web site links
  • http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworthcastle/
    http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/kenilworth.htm#castle
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/kenilworth%20castle.htm
    http://www.360history.co.uk/keniworth_castle/tower_view.htm
    http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/kenilworth/kenilworth.php
    http://www.courts.fsnet.co.uk/kenilworth.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/140/kenilworthcastle.htm
    http://www.touruk.co.uk/castles/castle_Kenilworth.htm
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.341
    http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/easy_results.asp?index=1&main_query=kenilworth%20castle
    http://timetrail.warwickshire.gov.uk/detail.aspx?monuid=WA3200
    http://www.btinternet.com/~timeref/hpl300.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/kennilworth.html
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p399-408
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p41, 129, 135, 165, 170
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p257-9 [plan]
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p52-7
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press) p9, 10, 185
    Salter, Mike, 1992, Castles and Moated Mansions of Warwickshire (Malvern) p31-7
    McNeill, Tom, 1992, English Heritage book of castles p60-2, 75, 76, 81, 98, 122, 124, 126
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p135, 176
    James, T.B., 1990, The Palaces of Medieval England (London; Seaby) p128-31, 134, 138-40, 174-5
    Furtado, Peter et al (eds), 1988, Ordnance Survey guide to castles in Britain (London) p144
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p482-3
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p247-8
    Cranstone, D.A.L., 1977, ‘Kenilworth Castle’, Archaeological Excavations 1976 (HMSO) p32
    Thompson, M.W., 1977, ‘Three stages in the construction of the hall at Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire’ in Apted, M.R. et al (eds), Ancient Monuments and Their Interpretation: Essays Presented to A J Taylor (Phillimore) p211-18
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1975, The history of the King's Works Vol3: 1485-1660 (part 1) (London) p258-60
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Pevsner, Nikolaus and Wedgwood, Alexandra, 1966, The buildings of England: Warwickshire p320-5
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p683-5
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p136-9
    Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1951 VCH Warwickshire Vol6 p143-8
    Toy, Sidney, 1939, Castles: A short History of Fortifications from 1600 BC to AD 1600 (London) p74-5
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p71-9
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p244-60
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Gotch, J. Alfred, 1909, The Growth of the English House (London: Batsford) p53-60
    Andrews, 1908, in Dryden, Memories of Old Warwickshire (London)
    Willoughby Gardner, 1904, in Doubleday, H.A. and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Warwickshire Vol1 p379-82
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p352-7
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p130-53
    Knowles, E.H., 1872, The Castle of Kenilworth (Warwick: Henry T.Cooke and Son)
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p381-9
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p240-1
    Hartshorne, C.H., 1858, Feudal and Military Antiquities of Northumberland and the Scottish Borders (London: Proceedings of the Archaeological Institute at Newcastle) Vol2 p64-7, cxxxvi-ix [history]
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol2
    Pugin, A., 1850, Pugin's Examples of Gothic Architecture (London: Henry and Bohn) Vol2
    Britton, John, 1835, The Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain (London) Vol4 p140-8
    Anon, 1821 [13edn], Concise History and Description of Kenilworth Castle (Warwick)
    Anon, 1821, Kenilworth Illustrated (Chiswick)
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p299
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol6 p1-13
    Dugdale, William (2edn rev by Wm Thomas), 1730, The Antiquities of Warwickshire (London) Vol1 p242-52
• Journal Articles
  • Morris, R.K., 2007, 'A plan for Kenilworth Castle at Longleat' English Heritage Historical Review Vol2 p22-35 [plan of c.1566]
    Golding, E., 2007, 'The earl of Leicester's inventory of Kenilworth, c. 1578' English Heritage Historical Review Vol2 p36-59
    Anon, 2005, 'Kenilworth Castle -Recreation of Elizabethan Gardens' CSG Newsletter Vol7 Issue1 p1
    Gethin, B., 2005, 'Kenilworth, Kenilworth Castle gatehouse' West Midlands Archaeology Vol48 p92-3
    Coutts, C., 2005, 'Kenilworth, Kenilworth Castle keep' West Midlands Archaeology Vol48 p93
    Jones, C., 2005, 'Kenilworth, Kenilworth Castle, Gallery Tower' West Midlands Archaeology Vol48 p93-4
    Bradley, J and Gaimster, M. (eds), 2004, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 2003' Medieval Archaeology Vol48 p290 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Ellis, P., 1995, 'The Elizabethan gardens and Leicester's stables at Kenilworth Castle [excavations between 1970 and 1984 by Beric Morley, Peter Brown, and Tim Crump]' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol99 p81-116
    Jones, M., 1991, West Midlands Archaeology Vol34 p81-2
    Shotton FW., 1934, Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol58
    Brown, R.Allen, 1989, ‘A note on Kenilworth Castle: the change to royal ownership' in Brown, R.Allen, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p209–13
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p313
    Crump, T.J., 1985, ‘Kenilworth, Kenilworth Castle' West Midlands Archaeology Vol28 p60
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1977, ‘Medieval Britain in 1976' Medieval Archaeology Vol21 p238 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Thompson, M.W., 1971, 'Kenilworth Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol123 p204-7
    Thompson, M.W., 1969, 'Kenilworth Castle since 1962' Medieval Archaeology Vol13 p218-20 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Drew, J.H., 1967, 'Kenilworth Castle: a discussion of its entrances' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol84 p148-59
    (Sunley), 1966, Medieval Archaeology Vol10 p191 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Thompson, M.W., 1965, 'Two levels of the Mere at Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire' Medieval Archaeology Vol9 p156-61 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Thompson, M.W., 1964, 'Reclamation of waste ground for the Pleasance at Kenilworth Castle' Medieval Archaeology Vol8 p222-3 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Rahtz, P., 1963, Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol81 p55-73
    Drew, J.H., 1963, 'Notes on the water system at Kenilworth Castle' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol81 p74-7
    (Knight), 1962-3, Medieval Archaeology Vol6-7 p324 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    (Rahtz), 1961, Medieval Archaeology Vol5 p319-21 [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
    Brown, R. Allen, 1953, 'A Note on Kenilworth Castle: The Change to Royal Ownership' Archaeological Journal Vol110 p120-5
    Chatwin, P.B., 1947-8, 'Castles in Warwickshire' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol67 p18-19 [slight]
    Harvey, J.H., 1944, 'Side-lights on Kenilworth Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol101 p91-107
    1926, Archaeological Journal Vol83 p310
    Holliday, 1876, Birmingham and Midlands Institute p71-3 [minC16 survey]
    Clark, G.T., 1875, 'The castle of Kenilworth' Archaeological Journal Vol32 p55-85 [reprinted MMA]
    Knowles, 1871, Birmingham and Midlands Institute Archaeology Section p12-14 [unimportant]
• Guidebooks
  • Morris, R.K., 2006, Kenilworth Castle (London: English Heritage)
    1996, Kenilworth Castle (London: English Heritage)
    Renn, Derek, 1991, Kenilworth Castle (London: English Heritage)
    Thompson, M.W., 1991 (2edn), Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire. (London: English Heritage)
    Thompson, M.W., 1985, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire. (London: English Heritage)
    Drew, J.H., 1981, Kenilworth Castle Illustrated (Barracuda Press)
    Thompson, M.W., 1977, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire (HMSO)
    Renn, D.F., 1973, Kenilworth Castle (HMSO)
    Baillie Reynolds, 1948, Kenilworth Castle (HMSO)
    Knowles, 1872, (Warwick)
    Brandard, J., [c 1982 first published c 1865] Kenilworth Castle illustrated. (Buckingham: Barracuda)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p454-6
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/warkseng.html#warks11]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p475, 477
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol2 p109 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl02lelauoft