Peveril Castle
Encyclopedia
Peveril Castle is a medieval building overlooking the village of Castleton in the English county of Derbyshire
. Its site provides views across the Hope Valley
and Cave Dale
. The castle is named after its founder, William Peveril
, who held lands in Nottinghamshire
and Derbyshire on behalf of the king. It was built some time between the Norman Conquest in 1066 and its first recorded mention in 1086, in the Domesday Survey. Nearby Castleton benefited from the presence of the castle, which acted as the administrative centre of an independent lordship
called Peak. The town became the economic centre of the lordship.
William Peveril the Younger
inherited his father's estates; however, they were confiscated by King Henry II
in 1155. While in royal possession, Henry visited the castle in 1157, 1158, and 1164, the first time hosting King Malcolm IV of Scotland. During the Revolt of 1173–1174, the castle's garrison was increased from a porter and two watchmen to a force led by 20 knight
s shared with the castles of Bolsover
and Nottingham
. The Earls of Derby
had a claim to the Peveril family's estates through marriage, and in 1199 William de Ferrers
, the fourth earl, paid 2000 marks for the Peak lordship although the castle remained in royal control. The closest Peveril Castle came to seeing battle was in 1216 when King John gave the castle to William de Ferrers, but the castellan refused to relinquish control. Although they were both John's supporters, the king authorised the earl to use force to evict the castellan; eventually he capitulated although there is no evidence that the castle was assaulted.
In 1223 the castle returned to the Crown. In the 13th century there were periods of building work at the castle, and by 1300 Peveril's final form had been established. Towards the end of the 14th century, the lordship was granted to John of Gaunt. Having little use for the castle, he ordered some of its material to be stripped out for reuse, marking the beginning of its decline. Since the time of John of Gaunt, the castle has been administered by the Duchy of Lancaster
. Peveril Castle became less important administratively and by 1609 it was "very ruinous and serveth for no use". In the 19th century, Sir Walter Scott
featured the castle in his novel Peveril of the Peak
. The site is cared for by English Heritage
and situated in a national park
. Peveril Castle is protected as a Scheduled Monument and a Grade I listed building.
on the north side of the valley is a Bronze Age
hill fort
, and 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east at Brough and Shatton
is the Roman fort
of Navio. The valley formed a natural line of communication and had added importance due to valuable mineral resources in the area, particularly lead. The small Hope Castle lay halfway along the valley. William Peveril
was a follower of William the Conqueror and was rewarded for supporting him during the Norman Conquest. The first extant record of him in England records that in 1068 he was granted the new castle at Nottingham
by William the Conqueror who was in the process of subduing the Midlands and northern England. There is a story that Peveril was William's illegitimate son but is it unsubstantiated. By the Domesday Survey of 1086, Peveril had become a powerful landowner, with holdings in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The exact year he founded the castle is uncertain, although it must have been started by 1086 as it is recorded in the Domesday Book, one of 48 castles mentioned in the survey and the only one in Derbyshire. The castle was recorded as standing at Pechesers; this has been translated as both "Peak's Tail" or "Peak's Arse
". The first stages of early Norman castles were usually built in timber; however, Peveril Castle seems to have been designed in stone from the start.
William Peveril had custody of royal lands such as the district of Hope
and, although he had his own estates, he relied on continued royal favour to maintain power in this way. In 1100 the new king, Henry I
, granted William "his demense in the Peak". This meant the Peak became an independent lordship under William Peveril's control; the castle became an important centre of administration for the area, allowing the collection of taxes. Nearby Castleton benefited from the castle's new-found status and began to grow as the lordship's economic heart. William Peveril died in 1114 and was succeeded by his son, William Peveril the Younger
. In the civil war known as The Anarchy
between King Stephen
and Empress Matilda
, Peveril backed the losing side and his fortunes took a downturn. He was captured at the Battle of Lincoln (1141)
, and later Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester, became convinced that Peveril had tried to poison him; it is uncertain whether Peveril actually attempted to poison the earl, but the two became enemies. In 1153 the future King Henry II
accused Peveril of "plundering and treachery" and threatened to confiscate his estates and hand them over to the Earl of Chester. Two years later Henry, now king, followed through on his threat. The Earl of Chester was dead by this time and so the king kept the property for himself. Once under royal control, Peveril became the administrative centre of Forest of High Peak
.
William Peveril the Younger died in 1155, and as his only male heir predeceased him it was left to his daughter's husband, Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby
, to maintain the family's claim to the confiscated estates. Henry visited Peveril Castle on three occasions during his reign; during the first visit, in 1157, he hosted King Malcolm IV of Scotland
who paid homage to Henry after ceding Cumberland
and Westmorland
to the English king. Henry visited again in 1158 and 1164. When a group of barons led by Henry's sons – Henry the Young King
, Geoffrey Duke of Brittany
, and Prince Richard
, later Richard the Lionheart – revolted against the king's rule, Henry spent £116 on building at the castles of Peveril and Bolsover
in Derbyshire. The garrison was also increased; previously Peveril was guarded by two watchmen and a porter, but this was expanded to a force led by 20 knight
s and shared with Bolsover and Nottingham castles during the revolt. After the revolt ended in 1174, further steps were taken to improve Peveril Castle, and the Pipe Rolls
– records of royal expenditure – show that between 1175 and 1177 £184 was spent at building the keep. Building in stone would have been an expensive undertaking, and though Peveril's keep was small, moderate sized stone castles such as contemporary Orford
could cost thousands of pounds. Henry II's average income during his reign has been estimated to be around £10,000 per year. The poor survival of documentary sources means it is uncertain when parts of the castle were built, and archaeological investigations have been unsuccessful in dating the stonework. Henry died in 1189 and was succeeded by his son, Richard the Lionheart. Soon after his coronation, Richard granted the lordship of the Peak, including the castle, to his brother John
. While Richard was on crusade, John rebelled; on his return to the country, Richard confiscated the lordship.
John ascended to the throne in 1199 after Richard's death. William de Ferrers
maintained the claim of the Earls of Derby to the Peveril estates; he paid John 2000 marks for the lordship of the Peak, but the Crown retained possession of Peveril and Bolsover Castles. John finally gave Ferrers these castles in 1216 to secure his support in the face of country-wide rebellion. However, the castellan Brian de Lisle refused to hand them over; although Lisle and Ferrers were both John's supporters, John gave Ferrers permission to use force to take the castles. The situation was still chaotic when Henry III
became king after his father's death in 1216. Although Bolsover fell to Ferrers' forces in 1217 after a siege, there is no indication that Peveril was assaulted and it is likely that Brian de Lisle negotiated his surrender. Ferrers only had possession of the lordship until Henry III came of age. When the time came he was reluctant to hand over the property, and after an initial deadlock the Crown took control in 1223. Although records of expenditure at Peveril survive from this period in the form of Pipe Rolls, they do not specify how the money was spent. As a result, it is unclear what constitutes maintenance and what marks substantial construction work; however, Richard Eales who wrote the 2006 English Heritage guidebook suggests that there were two periods of building as sums were larger than usual: 1204–1207 and 1210–1212 when £54 and £67 were spent respectively. Medieval historian Sidney Painter
estimated that around 1200 there were only seven magnates in England whose annual income would have exceeded £400 and a knight could easily live on £10 to £20 per year.
The rest of the 13th century was relatively peaceful and records show that Peveril Castle was maintained by the Crown. In 1235, King Henry III visited and the north wall and bridge were repaired in preparation. After significant bouts of work in 1250–52, 1272–1275, and 1288–1290 (when sums of £60, £40, and £151 were spent respectively) it is likely that the castle buildings were complete by 1300. Henry III gave Prince Edward (later King Edward I
) Peveril Castle along with Cheshire
and the royal holdings in Wales and Ireland. Some of the lands, including Peveril, were made part of Eleanor of Castile
's dower
, to come into her possession should her husband, Prince Edward, die. At this time, the Peak lordship was worth around £300 a year. At the outbreak of the Second Barons' War in 1264, Peveril Castle was occupied by Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby
. Simon de Montfort
pressured Henry III into giving him Peveril, although it was recovered by the Crown after de Montfort's death in 1265. The castle was returned to Eleanor's dower; as she predeceased Edward I, the lordship remained in royal hands. Its income was used to provide for members of the royal family such as King Edward II's
queen, Isabella of France
, and their children, and royal favourites such as Piers Gaveston
. In 1331, Edward III
gave the lordship to his wife, Philippa of Hainault
. It was given to John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
, in 1345. After its return to the royal family, the estate was given to John of Gaunt, Edward III's third surviving son, partially in exchange for the earldom of Richmond
.
John was the richest nobleman in England; with a host of castles at his disposal, Peveril was relatively unimportant. He decided not to maintain Peveril Castle and in 1374 gave orders to strip the lead from the buildings for reuse at Pontefract Castle
. His ownership marked the start of Peveril Castle's decline. It was inherited by his son Henry Bolingbroke
, later crowned Henry IV; since then it remained in royal control, administered by the Duchy of Lancaster
. As the 15th century progressed, Peveril became less important as administrative duties were moved elsewhere. Although other castles administered by the Duchy of Lancaster were repaired in 1480, there is no indication this happened at Peveril. A survey in 1561 conducted for the Duchy revealed that Peveril was already in a state of decay, and as a result along with Donnington
was one of two castles that would be abandoned. The castle hosted local courts until 1600. A survey in 1609 found that Peveril was "very ruinous and serveth for no use". At one point, the castle was used to house animals. With the advent of the railways in the 19th century, the area became a tourist attraction. The Duchy of Lancaster undertook maintenance in the 19th century to ensure the castle's condition did not deteriorate further, mostly clearing rubble and adding mortar. Sir Walter Scott
's 1823 novel Peveril of the Peak
featured Peveril Castle; set during the mid-17th century, the novel described the castle ruins.
In 1932 the Duchy gave custody of the castle to the Office of Works while retaining ownership. The site is today cared for by English Heritage, the successor to the Office of Works. The surrounding landscape has been protected as a national park
since 1951. The castle is a Scheduled Monument, which means it is a "nationally important" historic building and archaeological site
which has been given protection against unauthorised change. It is also a Grade I listed building (first listed in 1985), and recognised as an internationally important structure. It has been described as "perhaps the finest medieval landmark of the Peak District", and architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner
remarked that it is "By far the most important castles in the county – in fact the only one of importance".
. The castle was entered through the gatehouse
to the east. Its design was simple, 7 m (23 ft) wide with a gatepassage 2.5 m (8.2 ft) across. Little survives, although earlier drawings contain details of mouldings that suggest the structure was built in the 12th century, perhaps by King Henry II or John.
The curtain walls
enclosing the castle bear testament to the multiple phases of construction at Peveril, with stonework from the Norman period – differentiated by the use of opus spicatum
– to modern repairs. The walls were surmounted by walkways, which next to the gatehouse would have stood about 5 m (16.4 ft) above the ground level immediately outside the castle. In the 12th century, a tower projecting less than 2 m (6.6 ft) was added to the north wall. In the opinion of Eales, it "would have been of limited military value, compared with the boldly projecting towers of later castles" which allowed defenders to deploy flanking fire along the base of the walls. The land within the castle slopes downwards from west to east. Water storage would have been a concern for the garrison of the castle, but how they procured water is uncertain.
The southern curtain wall is a modern replacement along the line of the medieval wall. There are the remains of two round or semi-circular towers projecting from the wall. One survives to such an extent that it is possible to discern the use of Roman tiles in the construction, probably from the fort of Navio 2 mi (3.2 km) away. It is uncertain when these towers were built, although it is thought they may date from the 13th century. Foundations mark the position of buildings abutting the south wall, probably the old hall and a chapel. A document from 1246 recorded a chapel at the castle; the remains of the easternmost building against the south wall are assumed to mark the site of the chapel as it is oriented roughly east–west. Foundations at the west end of the north wall mark where a large building would have stood; given its size it was probably a hall where the lord of the castle would have eaten and entertained high-status guests. It is unclear when the new hall was built, probably replacing the old hall in the south of the castle, although an "old hall" was mentioned in a document of 1251, implying there was also a new hall by that time. The kitchen and food stores would have stood at the east end of the hall, although little remains of these structures. Buildings were also built against the west curtain wall, probably high-status apartments. Although the main approach to Peveril Castle was from the north, there was also a gate in the west. A bridge spanned the gorge, linking the castle with an enclosure on the other side. As it has not been excavated the exact form the enclosure took is uncertain. Its purpose is also a matter of speculation, whether it was an elaborate outer bailey for defence or used for storage and stabling.
The keep occupies the southern corner of Peveril Castle. Construction probably began in around 1176, instigated by Henry II. Its plan is square, measuring less than 12 by, and the parapet is 15 m (49.2 ft) above the keep's base; as the ground is uneven, on the other side it rises 10.5 m (34.4 ft) above ground level. It is small in comparison to contemporary royal keeps such as those found at Dover
and Scarborough
Castles. Today the exterior is course, but originally the facing would have been smooth; the south-east side, where the keep was protected from theft by the steep natural slope, gives an idea of how it once may have appeared. A projection in the south-east face of the keep housed a garderobe
. As was usual with Norman keeps, Peveril's was entered through the first floor and was accessed by a staircase. This entrance level would have been a large public room and the basement used for storage. A narrow staircase in the east corner allowed access to the basement and wall walk around the top of the keep.
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. Its site provides views across the Hope Valley
Hope Valley, Derbyshire
The Hope Valley is a rural area centred on the village of Hope, Derbyshire in the Peak District in the northern Midlands of England.The name also applies to the Post Town which includes the surrounding villages.-The Valley:...
and Cave Dale
Cave Dale
Cave Dale is a dry limestone valley in the Derbyshire Peak District, England. It is located at grid reference . The northern end of the dale starts at the village of Castleton where the valley sides are almost perpendicular and over 50 metres in height...
. The castle is named after its founder, William Peveril
William Peverel
William Peverell , was a Norman knight, and is shown in 'The Battle Abbey Roll' to have fought at the Battle of Hastings.-Biography:...
, who held lands in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and Derbyshire on behalf of the king. It was built some time between the Norman Conquest in 1066 and its first recorded mention in 1086, in the Domesday Survey. Nearby Castleton benefited from the presence of the castle, which acted as the administrative centre of an independent lordship
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
called Peak. The town became the economic centre of the lordship.
William Peveril the Younger
William Peverel the Younger
William "the Younger" Peverel was the son of William Peverel. He lived in Nottingham, England.He married Avicia de Lancaster in La Marche, Normandy, France. She was the daughter of Roger "The Poitevin" Montgomery and Countess Almodis of La Marche. In 1114, she bore a daughter, Margaret Peverel...
inherited his father's estates; however, they were confiscated by King Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
in 1155. While in royal possession, Henry visited the castle in 1157, 1158, and 1164, the first time hosting King Malcolm IV of Scotland. During the Revolt of 1173–1174, the castle's garrison was increased from a porter and two watchmen to a force led by 20 knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s shared with the castles of Bolsover
Bolsover Castle
Bolsover Castle is a castle in Bolsover, Derbyshire, England .-History:It was built by the Peverel family in the 12th century and became Crown property in 1155 when the third William Peverel fled into exile...
and Nottingham
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
. The Earls of Derby
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
had a claim to the Peveril family's estates through marriage, and in 1199 William de Ferrers
William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby
William II de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby was a favourite of King John of England. He succeeded to the estate upon the death of his father, William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby, at the Siege of Acre in 1190...
, the fourth earl, paid 2000 marks for the Peak lordship although the castle remained in royal control. The closest Peveril Castle came to seeing battle was in 1216 when King John gave the castle to William de Ferrers, but the castellan refused to relinquish control. Although they were both John's supporters, the king authorised the earl to use force to evict the castellan; eventually he capitulated although there is no evidence that the castle was assaulted.
In 1223 the castle returned to the Crown. In the 13th century there were periods of building work at the castle, and by 1300 Peveril's final form had been established. Towards the end of the 14th century, the lordship was granted to John of Gaunt. Having little use for the castle, he ordered some of its material to be stripped out for reuse, marking the beginning of its decline. Since the time of John of Gaunt, the castle has been administered by the Duchy of Lancaster
Duchy of Lancaster
The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. It is held in trust for the Sovereign, and is used to provide income for the use of the British monarch...
. Peveril Castle became less important administratively and by 1609 it was "very ruinous and serveth for no use". In the 19th century, Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
featured the castle in his novel Peveril of the Peak
Peveril of the Peak
Peveril of the Peak is the longest novel by Sir Walter Scott. Along with Ivanhoe, Woodstock and Kenilworth, this is one of Scott's English novels, with the main action taking place around 1678.-Plot introduction:...
. The site is cared for by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
and situated in a national park
National parks of England and Wales
The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949...
. Peveril Castle is protected as a Scheduled Monument and a Grade I listed building.
History
Peveril Castle stands sentinel on a limestone outcrop over the west end of Hope Valley, in the midst of an ancient landscape; Mam TorMam Tor
Mam Tor is a hill near Castleton in the High Peak of Derbyshire, England. Its name literally translates as Heights of the Mother and it is also known as the Shivering Mountain on account of the instability of its lower shale layers...
on the north side of the valley is a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
, and 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east at Brough and Shatton
Brough and Shatton
Brough and Shatton is a civil parish, named for two contiguous hamlets in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England. They lie within the Peak District National Park, about 15 miles west of Sheffield and 30 miles east of Manchester. According to the 2001 census, Brough and Shatton had a...
is the Roman fort
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
of Navio. The valley formed a natural line of communication and had added importance due to valuable mineral resources in the area, particularly lead. The small Hope Castle lay halfway along the valley. William Peveril
William Peverel
William Peverell , was a Norman knight, and is shown in 'The Battle Abbey Roll' to have fought at the Battle of Hastings.-Biography:...
was a follower of William the Conqueror and was rewarded for supporting him during the Norman Conquest. The first extant record of him in England records that in 1068 he was granted the new castle at Nottingham
Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
by William the Conqueror who was in the process of subduing the Midlands and northern England. There is a story that Peveril was William's illegitimate son but is it unsubstantiated. By the Domesday Survey of 1086, Peveril had become a powerful landowner, with holdings in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The exact year he founded the castle is uncertain, although it must have been started by 1086 as it is recorded in the Domesday Book, one of 48 castles mentioned in the survey and the only one in Derbyshire. The castle was recorded as standing at Pechesers; this has been translated as both "Peak's Tail" or "Peak's Arse
Peak Cavern
The Peak Cavern, also known as the Devil's Arse , is one of the four show caves in Castleton, Derbyshire, England...
". The first stages of early Norman castles were usually built in timber; however, Peveril Castle seems to have been designed in stone from the start.
William Peveril had custody of royal lands such as the district of Hope
Hope, Derbyshire
Hope is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, in England. It lies in the Hope Valley, at the point where Peakshole Water flows into the River Noe. To the north, Win Hill and Lose Hill stand either side of the Noe....
and, although he had his own estates, he relied on continued royal favour to maintain power in this way. In 1100 the new king, Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, granted William "his demense in the Peak". This meant the Peak became an independent lordship under William Peveril's control; the castle became an important centre of administration for the area, allowing the collection of taxes. Nearby Castleton benefited from the castle's new-found status and began to grow as the lordship's economic heart. William Peveril died in 1114 and was succeeded by his son, William Peveril the Younger
William Peverel the Younger
William "the Younger" Peverel was the son of William Peverel. He lived in Nottingham, England.He married Avicia de Lancaster in La Marche, Normandy, France. She was the daughter of Roger "The Poitevin" Montgomery and Countess Almodis of La Marche. In 1114, she bore a daughter, Margaret Peverel...
. In the civil war known as The Anarchy
The Anarchy
The Anarchy or The Nineteen-Year Winter was a period of English history during the reign of King Stephen, which was characterised by civil war and unsettled government...
between King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
and Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
, Peveril backed the losing side and his fortunes took a downturn. He was captured at the Battle of Lincoln (1141)
Battle of Lincoln (1141)
The Battle of Lincoln or First Battle of Lincoln occurred on 2 February 1141. In it Stephen of England was captured, imprisoned and effectively deposed while Empress Matilda ruled for a short time.-Account:...
, and later Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester, became convinced that Peveril had tried to poison him; it is uncertain whether Peveril actually attempted to poison the earl, but the two became enemies. In 1153 the future King Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
accused Peveril of "plundering and treachery" and threatened to confiscate his estates and hand them over to the Earl of Chester. Two years later Henry, now king, followed through on his threat. The Earl of Chester was dead by this time and so the king kept the property for himself. Once under royal control, Peveril became the administrative centre of Forest of High Peak
Forest of High Peak
The Forest of High Peak was, in medieval times, a moorland forest covering most of the North West of Derbyshire, in England as far south as Tideswell and Buxton....
.
William Peveril the Younger died in 1155, and as his only male heir predeceased him it was left to his daughter's husband, Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby
Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby
Robert II de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby, a younger, but eldest surviving, son of Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby and his wife Hawise, succeeded his father as Earl of Derby in 1139...
, to maintain the family's claim to the confiscated estates. Henry visited Peveril Castle on three occasions during his reign; during the first visit, in 1157, he hosted King Malcolm IV of Scotland
Malcolm IV of Scotland
Malcolm IV , nicknamed Virgo, "the Maiden" , King of Scots, was the eldest son of Earl Henry and Ada de Warenne...
who paid homage to Henry after ceding Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
and Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
to the English king. Henry visited again in 1158 and 1164. When a group of barons led by Henry's sons – Henry the Young King
Henry the Young King
Henry, known as the Young King was the second of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine but the first to survive infancy. He was officially King of England; Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine.-Early life:Little is known of the young prince Henry before the events...
, Geoffrey Duke of Brittany
Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany
Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond was Duke of Brittany between 1181 and 1186, through his marriage with the heiress Constance. Geoffrey was the fourth son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine.-Family:He was a younger maternal half-brother of Marie de...
, and Prince Richard
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, later Richard the Lionheart – revolted against the king's rule, Henry spent £116 on building at the castles of Peveril and Bolsover
Bolsover Castle
Bolsover Castle is a castle in Bolsover, Derbyshire, England .-History:It was built by the Peverel family in the 12th century and became Crown property in 1155 when the third William Peverel fled into exile...
in Derbyshire. The garrison was also increased; previously Peveril was guarded by two watchmen and a porter, but this was expanded to a force led by 20 knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s and shared with Bolsover and Nottingham castles during the revolt. After the revolt ended in 1174, further steps were taken to improve Peveril Castle, and the Pipe Rolls
Pipe Rolls
The Pipe rolls, sometimes called the Great rolls, are a collection of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, or Treasury. The earliest date from the 12th century, and the series extends, mostly complete, from then until 1833. They form the oldest continuous series of records kept by...
– records of royal expenditure – show that between 1175 and 1177 £184 was spent at building the keep. Building in stone would have been an expensive undertaking, and though Peveril's keep was small, moderate sized stone castles such as contemporary Orford
Orford Castle
Orford Castle is a castle in the village of Orford, Suffolk, England, located 12 miles northeast of Ipswich, with views over the Orford Ness. It was built between 1165 and 1173 by Henry II of England to consolidate royal power in the region. The well-preserved keep, described by historian R...
could cost thousands of pounds. Henry II's average income during his reign has been estimated to be around £10,000 per year. The poor survival of documentary sources means it is uncertain when parts of the castle were built, and archaeological investigations have been unsuccessful in dating the stonework. Henry died in 1189 and was succeeded by his son, Richard the Lionheart. Soon after his coronation, Richard granted the lordship of the Peak, including the castle, to his brother John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. While Richard was on crusade, John rebelled; on his return to the country, Richard confiscated the lordship.
John ascended to the throne in 1199 after Richard's death. William de Ferrers
William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby
William II de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby was a favourite of King John of England. He succeeded to the estate upon the death of his father, William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby, at the Siege of Acre in 1190...
maintained the claim of the Earls of Derby to the Peveril estates; he paid John 2000 marks for the lordship of the Peak, but the Crown retained possession of Peveril and Bolsover Castles. John finally gave Ferrers these castles in 1216 to secure his support in the face of country-wide rebellion. However, the castellan Brian de Lisle refused to hand them over; although Lisle and Ferrers were both John's supporters, John gave Ferrers permission to use force to take the castles. The situation was still chaotic when Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
became king after his father's death in 1216. Although Bolsover fell to Ferrers' forces in 1217 after a siege, there is no indication that Peveril was assaulted and it is likely that Brian de Lisle negotiated his surrender. Ferrers only had possession of the lordship until Henry III came of age. When the time came he was reluctant to hand over the property, and after an initial deadlock the Crown took control in 1223. Although records of expenditure at Peveril survive from this period in the form of Pipe Rolls, they do not specify how the money was spent. As a result, it is unclear what constitutes maintenance and what marks substantial construction work; however, Richard Eales who wrote the 2006 English Heritage guidebook suggests that there were two periods of building as sums were larger than usual: 1204–1207 and 1210–1212 when £54 and £67 were spent respectively. Medieval historian Sidney Painter
Sidney Painter
Sidney Painter was a twentieth-century American medievalist at Johns Hopkins University.Painter was born in New York City; after the Taft School he attended Yale University . He wrote many influential books...
estimated that around 1200 there were only seven magnates in England whose annual income would have exceeded £400 and a knight could easily live on £10 to £20 per year.
The rest of the 13th century was relatively peaceful and records show that Peveril Castle was maintained by the Crown. In 1235, King Henry III visited and the north wall and bridge were repaired in preparation. After significant bouts of work in 1250–52, 1272–1275, and 1288–1290 (when sums of £60, £40, and £151 were spent respectively) it is likely that the castle buildings were complete by 1300. Henry III gave Prince Edward (later King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
) Peveril Castle along with Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and the royal holdings in Wales and Ireland. Some of the lands, including Peveril, were made part of Eleanor of Castile
Eleanor of Castile
Eleanor of Castile was the first queen consort of Edward I of England. She was also Countess of Ponthieu in her own right from 1279 until her death in 1290, succeeding her mother and ruling together with her husband.-Birth:...
's dower
Dower
Dower or morning gift was a provision accorded by law to a wife for her support in the event that she should survive her husband...
, to come into her possession should her husband, Prince Edward, die. At this time, the Peak lordship was worth around £300 a year. At the outbreak of the Second Barons' War in 1264, Peveril Castle was occupied by Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby
Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby
Robert III de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby was an English nobleman.He was born at Tutbury Castle in Derbyshire, England, the son of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby and the Earl's 2nd wife Margaret de Quincy , daughter of Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester and Helen of Galloway.-Early...
. Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
pressured Henry III into giving him Peveril, although it was recovered by the Crown after de Montfort's death in 1265. The castle was returned to Eleanor's dower; as she predeceased Edward I, the lordship remained in royal hands. Its income was used to provide for members of the royal family such as King Edward II's
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
queen, Isabella of France
Isabella of France
Isabella of France , sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre...
, and their children, and royal favourites such as Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of King Edward II of England. At a young age he made a good impression on King Edward I of England, and was assigned to the household of the King's son, Edward of Carnarvon...
. In 1331, Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
gave the lordship to his wife, Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
. It was given to John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey was a prominent English nobleman and military commander during the reigns of Henry III of England and Edward I of England. During the Second Barons' War he switched sides twice, ending up in support of the king, for whose capture he was present at Lewes in 1264...
, in 1345. After its return to the royal family, the estate was given to John of Gaunt, Edward III's third surviving son, partially in exchange for the earldom of Richmond
Earl of Richmond
The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was held by various Bretons, Normans, the royal families of Plantagenet, Capet, Savoy, Tudor and Stuart.-History:...
.
John was the richest nobleman in England; with a host of castles at his disposal, Peveril was relatively unimportant. He decided not to maintain Peveril Castle and in 1374 gave orders to strip the lead from the buildings for reuse at Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle is a castle in the town of Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It was the site of the demise of Richard II of England, and later the place of a series of famous sieges during the English Civil War-History:...
. His ownership marked the start of Peveril Castle's decline. It was inherited by his son Henry Bolingbroke
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, later crowned Henry IV; since then it remained in royal control, administered by the Duchy of Lancaster
Duchy of Lancaster
The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. It is held in trust for the Sovereign, and is used to provide income for the use of the British monarch...
. As the 15th century progressed, Peveril became less important as administrative duties were moved elsewhere. Although other castles administered by the Duchy of Lancaster were repaired in 1480, there is no indication this happened at Peveril. A survey in 1561 conducted for the Duchy revealed that Peveril was already in a state of decay, and as a result along with Donnington
Donnington Castle
Donnington Castle is a ruined medieval castle, situated in the small village of Donnington, just north of the town of Newbury in the English county of Berkshire.- History :...
was one of two castles that would be abandoned. The castle hosted local courts until 1600. A survey in 1609 found that Peveril was "very ruinous and serveth for no use". At one point, the castle was used to house animals. With the advent of the railways in the 19th century, the area became a tourist attraction. The Duchy of Lancaster undertook maintenance in the 19th century to ensure the castle's condition did not deteriorate further, mostly clearing rubble and adding mortar. Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's 1823 novel Peveril of the Peak
Peveril of the Peak
Peveril of the Peak is the longest novel by Sir Walter Scott. Along with Ivanhoe, Woodstock and Kenilworth, this is one of Scott's English novels, with the main action taking place around 1678.-Plot introduction:...
featured Peveril Castle; set during the mid-17th century, the novel described the castle ruins.
In 1932 the Duchy gave custody of the castle to the Office of Works while retaining ownership. The site is today cared for by English Heritage, the successor to the Office of Works. The surrounding landscape has been protected as a national park
National parks of England and Wales
The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949...
since 1951. The castle is a Scheduled Monument, which means it is a "nationally important" historic building and archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
which has been given protection against unauthorised change. It is also a Grade I listed building (first listed in 1985), and recognised as an internationally important structure. It has been described as "perhaps the finest medieval landmark of the Peak District", and architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
remarked that it is "By far the most important castles in the county – in fact the only one of importance".
Layout
Peveril Castle is roughly triangular in shape, about 90 by, sitting on top of a hill overlooking the Hope Valley. The land slopes steeply away from the castle's perimeter, almost forming a sheer face to the south east, and the winding approach from the north marks the most practical approach to the castle. Not only was the site naturally defensible, but its prominence would have allowed the castle to be a highly visible symbol of the builder's power. The castle would have used the nearby town of Castleton to provide supplies. It commands views of Hope Valley below and Treak Cliff, Mam Tor, Black Tor, and Lose HillLose Hill
Lose Hill lies in the Derbyshire Peak District. It is the south-west corner of the parish of Edale and the end of the Great Ridge that runs from Rushup Edge to the west .Local access activist G. H. B...
. The castle was entered through the gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
to the east. Its design was simple, 7 m (23 ft) wide with a gatepassage 2.5 m (8.2 ft) across. Little survives, although earlier drawings contain details of mouldings that suggest the structure was built in the 12th century, perhaps by King Henry II or John.
The curtain walls
Curtain wall (fortification)
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two bastions of a castle or fortress.In earlier designs of castle the curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult....
enclosing the castle bear testament to the multiple phases of construction at Peveril, with stonework from the Norman period – differentiated by the use of opus spicatum
Opus spicatum
Opus spicatum, literally "spiked work," is a type of masonry construction used in Roman and medieval times. It consists of bricks, tiles or cut stone laid in a herringbone pattern.-Uses:...
– to modern repairs. The walls were surmounted by walkways, which next to the gatehouse would have stood about 5 m (16.4 ft) above the ground level immediately outside the castle. In the 12th century, a tower projecting less than 2 m (6.6 ft) was added to the north wall. In the opinion of Eales, it "would have been of limited military value, compared with the boldly projecting towers of later castles" which allowed defenders to deploy flanking fire along the base of the walls. The land within the castle slopes downwards from west to east. Water storage would have been a concern for the garrison of the castle, but how they procured water is uncertain.
The southern curtain wall is a modern replacement along the line of the medieval wall. There are the remains of two round or semi-circular towers projecting from the wall. One survives to such an extent that it is possible to discern the use of Roman tiles in the construction, probably from the fort of Navio 2 mi (3.2 km) away. It is uncertain when these towers were built, although it is thought they may date from the 13th century. Foundations mark the position of buildings abutting the south wall, probably the old hall and a chapel. A document from 1246 recorded a chapel at the castle; the remains of the easternmost building against the south wall are assumed to mark the site of the chapel as it is oriented roughly east–west. Foundations at the west end of the north wall mark where a large building would have stood; given its size it was probably a hall where the lord of the castle would have eaten and entertained high-status guests. It is unclear when the new hall was built, probably replacing the old hall in the south of the castle, although an "old hall" was mentioned in a document of 1251, implying there was also a new hall by that time. The kitchen and food stores would have stood at the east end of the hall, although little remains of these structures. Buildings were also built against the west curtain wall, probably high-status apartments. Although the main approach to Peveril Castle was from the north, there was also a gate in the west. A bridge spanned the gorge, linking the castle with an enclosure on the other side. As it has not been excavated the exact form the enclosure took is uncertain. Its purpose is also a matter of speculation, whether it was an elaborate outer bailey for defence or used for storage and stabling.
The keep occupies the southern corner of Peveril Castle. Construction probably began in around 1176, instigated by Henry II. Its plan is square, measuring less than 12 by, and the parapet is 15 m (49.2 ft) above the keep's base; as the ground is uneven, on the other side it rises 10.5 m (34.4 ft) above ground level. It is small in comparison to contemporary royal keeps such as those found at Dover
Dover Castle
Dover Castle is a medieval castle in the town of the same name in the English county of Kent. It was founded in the 12th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history...
and Scarborough
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England...
Castles. Today the exterior is course, but originally the facing would have been smooth; the south-east side, where the keep was protected from theft by the steep natural slope, gives an idea of how it once may have appeared. A projection in the south-east face of the keep housed a garderobe
Garderobe
The term garderobe describes a place where clothes and other items are stored, and also a medieval toilet. In European public places, a garderobe denotes the cloakroom, wardrobe, alcove or an armoire. In Danish, Dutch, German and Spanish garderobe can mean a cloakroom. In Latvian it means checkroom...
. As was usual with Norman keeps, Peveril's was entered through the first floor and was accessed by a staircase. This entrance level would have been a large public room and the basement used for storage. A narrow staircase in the east corner allowed access to the basement and wall walk around the top of the keep.
See also
- Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
- List of castles in Derbyshire