Worcester Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Edgar Tower

In the civil parish of Worcester. In the historic county of Worcestershire (Modern Authority of Worcestershire, 1974 county of Hereford and Worcester).

Worcester Castle was built before September 1069. Its Motte stood close to the bank of the Severn, with an inner bailey to the east and an outer bailey to the north on the site of the present College Green. The first wooden castle was destroyed by fire in 1113, but was rebuilt, again probably in timber and in 1204 King John ordered that the wooden gateway be rebuilt in stone. Besieged 1139,1150 and 1151. By 1221 had become prison and was a weak spot in Worcester defenses by 1263, when taken in Baron's War. In serious disrepair by 1459 and 'Clene downe' in 1540. Castle mound used in Civil War but finally destroyed 1830. Finds from the Motte include a Bronze Age axe, 80-90 Roman coins, an urn and fibulae and some Saxon and Medieval coins. Edgar Tower built for King John circa 1204, and probably originally the entrance to the castle. Sandstone. single storey over arched gateway of 2 bays with groined vault. Embattled octagonal tower each side. 2 2-light windows with trefoil heads in crocketed hood-moulds. Modern canopied niches and tabernacle work with modern human figures. A massive and picturesque gatehouse. Restored.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Listed but grading unknown listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 146810)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO84935431

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 116254; 544365
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.worcestercitymuseums.org.uk/content/plotpln/model/modpage/castle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/worcester.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p85
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p280 [mention]
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p93
    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 p508
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles)
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p888-9
    Montgomerie, 1924, in Page, Wm and Willis-Bund, J.W. (eds), VCH, Worcester Vol4 p390-1, 426-7
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p240-2
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p386-8
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p494-5
    Green, 1796, History and Antiquities of Worcester (London) p246-53
• Journal Articles
  • 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
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p311
    Wilson, M., 1968-9, Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society Vol2 p36-7
    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
    Bund, 1907-10, Worcestershire Naturalists Club Vol4 p225-40
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; Laud Chronicle AD1088 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] p474-5
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/warkseng.html#worcs7]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p511, 517
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol2 p90 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl02lelauoft