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Etal Castle
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Etal Castle
Etal Castle is a ruined medieval fortification in the village of Etal, Northumberland, England. It was built around 1341 by Robert Manners, and comprised a residential tower, a gatehouse and a corner tower, protected by a curtain wall. The castle was involved both in local feuding and the border wars between England and Scotland. There was a battle between the rival Manners and Heron families outside the walls in 1428, and in 1513 it was briefly captured by King James IV of Scotland during his invasion of England.
The castle passed into the hands of the Crown in 1547 and was garrisoned as part of the border defences, but fell into disrepair and was abandoned as a military fortification after 1603. In the 18th century it ceased to be used as a domestic dwelling and became ruinous. In the 21st century the castle is owned by the Joicey family, but managed by English Heritage. Open to the public, it is protected under UK law as an ancient monument and a Grade I listed building.
Etal Castle was built around 1341 by Robert Manners in the village of Etal, after Robert was granted a licence to crenellate by King Edward III in order to defend the location against the Scots. The Manners family had owned the manor since at least 1232.
The earliest part of the castle was its residential tower. This tower may have been built around 1341 on the site of an older, unfortified house owned by the family on the same site, incorporating part of the structure into the new, crenellated tower. Alternatively, the central tower may have been built at some point between the late 13th and early 14th centuries, complete with crenellations, in which case the licence from Edward III served only to allow Manners to extend the perimeter fortifications. By the 1350s, the castle was surrounded by a manor which included mills for corn and fulling, lime kilns and coal mines.
Work continued under Robert's son, John Manners, who inherited the property as a minor in 1354. In 1355, when Sir Edward de Letham acquired the wardship of the property, the site was described as a fortalice, a weakly defended location, but by 1368, when the wardship passed to Joan, his widow, it was considered to be a fully-fledged castle. De Letham was a powerful regional figure, and may have been granted the wardship by Edward III in order to retain his loyalty in the face of military advances by the Scots; he and his wife allegedly ran down the surrounding estate, resulting in a commission being established to investigate the abuses.
John Manners died in 1402, probably leaving the castle to his son, Robert, who in turn left the property to his own son, another John Manners. John was involved in a long-running feud with the neighbouring Heron family, who owned the neighbouring Ford Castle, and on 20 January 1428 there was a fight between the two sides outside Etal Castle, in which William Heron died. The precise events are unclear and formed the basis of a subsequent lawsuit, but John argued that William had assaulted the castle, during which attack he had died, and that John had no direct involvement in his death. William's widow blamed John and his eldest son, also called John, for William's death and demanded compensation. After arbitration by the Church, eventually John agreed to pay for 500 masses for William's soul, and to give 250 marks to his widow.
In 1438, another of John Manners' sons, Robert, inherited the castle and the estates. The lands had fallen in value considerably over the preceding years, as a result of the wars with the Scots, the feuding with the Herons and the poverty of the lands. Robert's son, another Robert Manners, inherited the property in 1464, and passed the castle onto his son, George, on his death in 1495. George inherited the title of Baron de Ros from his mother's side of the family and the castle was abandoned as a residence by the family around the end of the 15th century when the Manners moved closer to the royal court.
In the absence of the Manners, Etal Castle was managed by the Collingwood family, who gradually became the castle's hereditary constables, renting the demesne lands on the estate from the family as well. The castle was heavily involved in the border wars with Scotland, usually holding a garrison of 100 men and forming an important strategic defensive location, one step removed from the fortifications along the border itself.
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Etal Castle
Etal Castle is a ruined medieval fortification in the village of Etal, Northumberland, England. It was built around 1341 by Robert Manners, and comprised a residential tower, a gatehouse and a corner tower, protected by a curtain wall. The castle was involved both in local feuding and the border wars between England and Scotland. There was a battle between the rival Manners and Heron families outside the walls in 1428, and in 1513 it was briefly captured by King James IV of Scotland during his invasion of England.
The castle passed into the hands of the Crown in 1547 and was garrisoned as part of the border defences, but fell into disrepair and was abandoned as a military fortification after 1603. In the 18th century it ceased to be used as a domestic dwelling and became ruinous. In the 21st century the castle is owned by the Joicey family, but managed by English Heritage. Open to the public, it is protected under UK law as an ancient monument and a Grade I listed building.
Etal Castle was built around 1341 by Robert Manners in the village of Etal, after Robert was granted a licence to crenellate by King Edward III in order to defend the location against the Scots. The Manners family had owned the manor since at least 1232.
The earliest part of the castle was its residential tower. This tower may have been built around 1341 on the site of an older, unfortified house owned by the family on the same site, incorporating part of the structure into the new, crenellated tower. Alternatively, the central tower may have been built at some point between the late 13th and early 14th centuries, complete with crenellations, in which case the licence from Edward III served only to allow Manners to extend the perimeter fortifications. By the 1350s, the castle was surrounded by a manor which included mills for corn and fulling, lime kilns and coal mines.
Work continued under Robert's son, John Manners, who inherited the property as a minor in 1354. In 1355, when Sir Edward de Letham acquired the wardship of the property, the site was described as a fortalice, a weakly defended location, but by 1368, when the wardship passed to Joan, his widow, it was considered to be a fully-fledged castle. De Letham was a powerful regional figure, and may have been granted the wardship by Edward III in order to retain his loyalty in the face of military advances by the Scots; he and his wife allegedly ran down the surrounding estate, resulting in a commission being established to investigate the abuses.
John Manners died in 1402, probably leaving the castle to his son, Robert, who in turn left the property to his own son, another John Manners. John was involved in a long-running feud with the neighbouring Heron family, who owned the neighbouring Ford Castle, and on 20 January 1428 there was a fight between the two sides outside Etal Castle, in which William Heron died. The precise events are unclear and formed the basis of a subsequent lawsuit, but John argued that William had assaulted the castle, during which attack he had died, and that John had no direct involvement in his death. William's widow blamed John and his eldest son, also called John, for William's death and demanded compensation. After arbitration by the Church, eventually John agreed to pay for 500 masses for William's soul, and to give 250 marks to his widow.
In 1438, another of John Manners' sons, Robert, inherited the castle and the estates. The lands had fallen in value considerably over the preceding years, as a result of the wars with the Scots, the feuding with the Herons and the poverty of the lands. Robert's son, another Robert Manners, inherited the property in 1464, and passed the castle onto his son, George, on his death in 1495. George inherited the title of Baron de Ros from his mother's side of the family and the castle was abandoned as a residence by the family around the end of the 15th century when the Manners moved closer to the royal court.
In the absence of the Manners, Etal Castle was managed by the Collingwood family, who gradually became the castle's hereditary constables, renting the demesne lands on the estate from the family as well. The castle was heavily involved in the border wars with Scotland, usually holding a garrison of 100 men and forming an important strategic defensive location, one step removed from the fortifications along the border itself.
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