Tamworth Castle

Tamworth Castle is a Norman motte and bailey castle set in the south-west corner of what was a Saxon burh, it's located to dominate the approach over the two rivers which meet below the Castle.

Its sandstone walls and superb herringbone wall - all that survives of the "curtain wall" of the bailey are believed to date from the 1180s. They replaced a palisade and wooden tower, built on the present artificial mound shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Numerous additions and alterations have been made to the castle by succeeding generations of owners. Until in the late 1890's, Marquis Townshend decided to sell the Castle by auction. Tamworth Corporation purchased it to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The purchase price of £3000 was later raised by public subscription and the Castle was formally opened and dedicated to the public two years later.

Tamworth Castle

The stone castle is a polygone Shell-Keep with a square tower set into its walls.  The lower bailey would have been bordered by a timber palisade with a ditch outside.  The footpath over the Herringbone Wall, all that survices of the "Curtain Wall" of the bailey, leads up to the Castle Keep and down to the excavations of the late 13th century Gatehouse.  Only the lower portion of the double tower of the gatehouse remains; the moat was dry and the drawbridge was raised over a stone causeway

Numerous additions and alterations have been made to the Castle by succeeding generations of owners.  The oldest surviving section within the Shell Keep, apart from the Tower itself, is the north wing with its 13th century arched doorway.  The Banqueting Hall added in the early 15th century, and the Warder's Lodge at the entrance to the Courtyard (upper Bailey) is Tudor.

Construction of the South Wing began in the early 17th century which meant that the 12th century Keep now housed an "H Plan" country gentleman's residence.  The Castle was sadly neglected in the 18th century but between 1783 and 1811 extensive alterations were made which included the removal of the bay windows, tall chimneys and characteristic gable-roffed attic storey and the re-facing of the entire South Wing exterior.

There has been some confusion in the past over the identity of the castle's first Lord.  There is evidence that before the reign of King Stephen (1135-1154) it was held by both Robert de Despence and Robert Marmion.  Despencer left no surviving legitimate son when and he died and either a daughter or neice married into the Marmion family.  However, the name Despencer means Steward and it is now believed that they may have been one in the same person.

The Marmions held the Castle until 1291 when Philip, the last and eighth Baron died.  When Lady Jane Marmion died without an heir, the Castle was granted by Edward I to her neice's husband, Sir ALexander de Freville.  In 1423 the male line of Freville failed and the Castle passed to Sir Thomas Ferrers of Groby who had married into the Freville family.  From the the Ferrers the Castle passed by marriage to the Shirleys of Chartley in 1688; to the Comptons, Earls of Northampton in 1715 (again by marriage) and finally to the Townshends of Raynham in 1751, it remained with them until 1897.  It was bought by Tamworth Corporation for 

 The Castle remained in the Townshend family until 1897 apart from a brief period in the early 19th century when it came into the possession of a London auctioneer, Mr. John Robins. In 1897 the Castle was purchased by Tamworth Corporation for the sum for £3000, and was formally opened to the public on the 22nd May 1899.

The Castle was twice threatened with destruction. In 1215, just before the signing of the Magna Carta, King John sent an armed force to raze it to the ground in revenge for Sir Robert Marmion, the fifth Baron, having sided with the Barons against him. During the Civil War the Castle was held by the Royalists in 1642, and was a source of trouble to the Parliamentary Army in their endeavour to secure Lichfield. The Castle was captured by the Cromwellian forces in 1643 after a siege lasting two days and a Captain Waldyve Willington was placed in command. Cromwell ordered the Castle’s destruction, but, as in King John’s time, the threat was not carried out, this could explain the change in the stone work, half way up the Shell Wall.