[MR] Wikipedia: Brick Castles in England

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble friends,

After lost Roman brick-making skills were reintroduced to England by
Flemish immigrants, there was a brief fashion for brick castles in the 15th
century. This was nearing the end of castles' usefulness as feudal
fortifications, thanks to gunpowder artillery, and brick castles spanned
the transition from pure fortress to comfortable fortified manor houses.
There never were many brick castles, and only a handful still remain. By
the 16th century, castles were pretty much passé, and were replaced by
brick palaces owned by the uber-rich.

The object of my interest in brick castles has always been Caister Castle
in Norfolk. This true castle was built in the 15th century by the famed
soldier Sir John Fastolf, whose reputation was trashed for all time by
Shakespear through the hapless character Fallstaff. Sir John Fastolf was
related by marriage to the Paston family. When Fastolf died without issue
in 1459 his attorney, John Paston I, inherited Caister Castle (through a
possibly dodgy deathbed will). The castle figures in the famous Paston
Letters, with John Paston defending his claim against several powerful
opponents. The Duke of Norfolk besieged and eventually captured Caister
Castle in 1459, though it was later returned to the Paston family. Today
the castle is in ruins, with its central tower being the chief surviving
feature.

Wikipedia has a short piece on Caister Castle:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caister_Castle .

Caister is open to the public, and the grounds include a fine collection of
classic automobiles. Their site offers more views of the castle, and some
really lovely classic MG two-seaters: https://www.caistercastle.co.uk/ .

Another brick castle that can be visited is Kirby Muxlow in Leicestershire.
Often described as a fortified manor house, it looks every bit a castle
right down to its moat and fortified gate, though doubtful it could have
stood up long in a serious attack. It was begun in 1480 by William, Lord
Hastings. When Richard III seized the throne in 1483, the new King had
Hastings beheaded during his bloody house-cleaning of any
possible opponents, so work on the castle largely stopped. Today the castle
is a picturesque ruin owned by English Heritage and is open to the public.

Here is a brief piece on Kirby Muxlow:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirby_Muxloe_Castle .

Perhaps the grandest brick castle is/was Herstmonceux Castle in East
Sussex. Work on this castle began in 1441, again more as a fortified manor
house than a true defensive castle. After being gutted and turned into an
oversized garden folly, the castle was lovingly restored in the early 20th
century. Today it is owned by Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, and
is used as an extension campus. The grounds are also used for various
medieval festivals.

You can read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herstmonceux_Castle .

Finally, we come to the most picturesque brick castle of all, Tattershall
Castle in Lincolnshire. Originally a stone fortified manor house, the
castle was rebuilt in brick between 1430 and 1440 by Baron Cromwell,
Treasurer of England. Its lovely brick fancywork is a joy to behold. Three
enormous fireplaces heated the main keep. These fireplaces were torn out in
1910 and packed for shipment to America. Lord Curzon of Kedleston bought
the castle and retrieved the still unshipped fireplaces. He then pushed for
Britain's first heritage protection law, the 1913 Ancient Monuments
Consolidation and Amendment Act. Lord Curzon had Tattershall Castle's inner
moat and 130-foot tall keep restored. The castle was donated to the
National Trust in 1925, and continues to be open to the public.

Here is Tattershall Castle's Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattershall_Castle,_Lincolnshire .

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Castle Geek Extraordinaire  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep Merry Rose relevant and in business.