Baginton Castle
Baginton Castle, also known as Bagot's Castle, is a ruined castle in Baginton, England. It was originally built in the 12th century by Geoffrey Savage and it was rebuilt as a stone keep during the late 14th century.[1] The surviving ruin that can be seen is of a late 14th-century house, but it is not well known because of its location in an area of woodland on private land. No earthworks or ruins survive of the 12th-century motte and bailey.
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History
The original motte and bailey was built at Baginton by Geoffrey Savage in the 12th century during the reign of Henry I.[2] A dwelling house was also erected on the site. By the 14th century, this castle was in disrepair and it was demolished and rebuilt as a stone keep around 1397 by Sir William Bagot.[1] Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, was imprisoned at Baginton Castle following his son Harry Hotspur's defeat at the Battle of Shrewsbury on 21 July 1403.[3] This castle was in disrepair by the 16th century, as it was described by John Leland in 1540 as 'desolate'. By 1714, most of the surviving earthworks of the 12th-century motte had been levelled and were replaced by a pleasure garden; during the 18th century, the ruins were being used as a pigsty.[1] Between 1933 and 1948, the 14th-century keep was excavated, but it was eventually overgrown by shrubs again. It was fully excavated in 2009 to how it is today.
The remains are designated as a Grade II listed building[4] and Scheduled Monument.[5]
References
- "Baginton Castle history". Bagot's Castle. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- The Victoria History of the County of Warwickshire: Hartshill, (1947), 22
- Bean, J. M. W. (2004). "Percy, Henry, first earl of Northumberland (1341–1408)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.
- Historic England. "Ruins of Castle 160 yards west of Church of St John the Baptist (Grade II) (1035269)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- Historic England. "Baginton Castle, associated settlement remains, ponds and mill sites (1011193)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 July 2020.