Walden Castle
Encyclopedia
Walden Castle was a medieval castle
in Essex
, England
, built during the Anarchy
of the 12th century.
in Essex at the start of the civil war known as the Anarchy
by Geoffrey de Mandeville
, with much of the work occurring between 1141 and 1143. This was one of several castles built by Geoffrey to reinforce his power across the region. The castle stood on a natural high point within the town and featured a square Norman keep
and a bailey wall, forming a substantial fortification. Geoffrey was arrested under questionable circumstances by King Stephen
in 1143, and ordered to hand over various castles, including Walden; Geoffrey initially agreed, but promptly reneged on this agreement once released, launching a military campaign against the king's strongholds in Cambridgeshire in an attempt to free up the route south to Walden. Geoffrey died during a siege the following year, still not having reclaimed Walden. Henry II
ordered the castle, with the keep probably still unfinished, to be slighted
in 1157.
Today the town of Saffron Walden's streets are still shaped by the outline of the castle bailey. Only the ruined core of the castle remain, with most of the stones stolen over the intervening centuries; the castle is a scheduled monument and a Grade I listed building.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, built during 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...
of the 12th century.
History
Walden Castle was built in the town of Saffron WaldenSaffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
in Essex at the start of 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...
by Geoffrey de Mandeville
Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex
Geoffrey de Mandeville II, 1st Earl of Essex was one of the prominent players during the reign of King Stephen of England. His biographer, the 19th-century historian J. H...
, with much of the work occurring between 1141 and 1143. This was one of several castles built by Geoffrey to reinforce his power across the region. The castle stood on a natural high point within the town and featured a square Norman keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
and a bailey wall, forming a substantial fortification. Geoffrey was arrested under questionable circumstances by 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...
in 1143, and ordered to hand over various castles, including Walden; Geoffrey initially agreed, but promptly reneged on this agreement once released, launching a military campaign against the king's strongholds in Cambridgeshire in an attempt to free up the route south to Walden. Geoffrey died during a siege the following year, still not having reclaimed Walden. 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...
ordered the castle, with the keep probably still unfinished, to be slighted
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
in 1157.
Today the town of Saffron Walden's streets are still shaped by the outline of the castle bailey. Only the ruined core of the castle remain, with most of the stones stolen over the intervening centuries; the castle is a scheduled monument and a Grade I listed building.
Biliography
- Bradbury, Jim. (2009) Stephen and Matilda: the Civil War of 1139-53. Stroud, UK: The History Press. ISBN 9780750937931.
- Pettifer, Adrian. (2002) English Castles: a Guide by Counties. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press. ISBN 9780851157825.