Huntington Castle

• Huntington, Herefordshire.
• Scheduled Monument.
• Grade I Listed Building.

Medieval motte and bailey castle with two baileys. The motte measuring 16 m high.

1076                            William I granted it to Adam Port.

12 C                            c: Built by the de Braose family.

12 C                            Late: Built in stone.

1228                            c: Stone keep was built.

1228                            July: The castle was taken by the Crown when Reginald Braose died.

1228                            October: The new Lord was William de Braose. He was captured by the Welsh, the Crown retook possession of the castle and de Braose was hung.

1244                            Prince Daffyd fought Ralph Mortimer and Humphrey Bohun but failed to take the castle.

1248                            The Bohun family inherited the castle when William de Braose died and it passed through his daughter to Humphrey de Bohun.

1263                            3^rd March: Lord Edward (later Edward I) gave the castle to Roger Mortimer.

1263                            July: Humphrey de Bohun regained the castle.

1265                            Humphrey de Bohun was captured at the Battle of Evesham. He died at Beeston Castle.

1370’s                         Humphrey Bohun owned the castle. He re-mortared and re-roofed it.

1372                            The last de Bohun died and the daughter married Henry, Earl of Derby (later Henry IV).

1399                            Passed to Edward de Stafford, Earl of Buckingham.

1403                            Edward de Stafford, Earl of Buckingham died and the castle passed to his widow. She was ordered by Henry IV to refortify it against Welsh attacks. The castle was captained by John Smert. The roof was remade, gates re-hung and a pallisade was added.

1460                            c: Abandoned and decaying.

1484                            Henry Stafford was held at the castle after he betrayed Richard III.

1521                            A tower was used as a prison and a constable was still kept at the castle.

1561                            The Tower was used as a prison.

1564                            The Crown had possession of the castle and they sold it to Sir Ambrose Cave for £6328 5s 0d.

1568                            Some of the lands were sold to Francis Vaughan of Hergest.

1642                            In ruins.

1670                            The keep and most of the walls were still standing.

1818                            Owned by Edward Watkins Cheese, esq..

1970                            Excavated.