Hartlebury Castle
Hartlebury Castle | ||
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Grid reference grid reference SO836712 | | |
Site information | ||
Open to the public | Yes |
Hartlebury Castle, a Grade I
History
Hartlebury Castle was the residence of the Bishop of Worcester from the early 13th century until 2007.
Bishop Walter de Cantilupe, a supporter of Simon de Montfort, began to fortify the Castle, which was embattled and finished by his successor, Godfrey Giffard, in 1268. The gatehouse was added in the reign of Henry VI, by Bishop Carpenter.[5]
King Edward I became Hartlebury Castle's first royal visitor in 1282, when he was on the way to Wales.[6] Queen Elizabeth stayed on 12 August 1575 with the Bishop Nicholas Bullingham, while on a journey to Worcester.[7]
In 1582, Bishop John Whitgift signed the paper that allowed William Shakespeare to marry Anne Hathaway.[8]
In 1646, during the First English Civil War, Hartlebury Castle was strongly fortified and held for King Charles I by Captain Sandys and Lord Windsor, with 120 foot soldiers and 20 horse (cavalry troopers), and provisions for twelve months. However, when summoned by Colonel Thomas Morgan for Parliament, it surrendered in two days without a shot being fired.[5] The Castle was slighted,[3] and the Parliamentary Commissioners seized it and the manor estate, which were sold to Thomas Westrowe for £3,133 6s. 8d. They were returned to the Bishop of Worcester after the Restoration of 1660.[5] The remains of the Civil War-era bastion ditch were first identified from cropmarks in July 2022, and were excavated in 2023. The ditch was found to be 3.4m deep, and produced 17th-century finds including a coin of James I and lead pistol shot.[9]
The Hurd Library was built by
Bishop Hurd was visited by King George III, Queen Charlotte, three of the princesses and the Duke of York in 1788.[10]
The avenue of limes in the park was planted by
By 1890 some of the Castle moats had been filled and laid out as flower gardens.[5]
In the First World War, Hartlebury Castle became a Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Hospital. There are scrapbooks left by soldiers who were cared for at the Castle, available to see online or onsite.
With the coming of Bishop Inge in 2008, the Bishop's residence was moved from the Castle to a house adjacent to the Cathedral in the city of Worcester. In 1964, the north wing was taken over by Worcestershire County Council and in 1966 opened to the public as Worcestershire County Museum.
In 2010,
Campaigners were given until April 2011 to raise £2 million to prevent the house being put on the open market. It was reported on 17 August 2012 that HCPT had agreed to pay its owners, the
In April 2013 HCPT was successful in its initial
In March 2015 HCPT bought Hartlebury Castle and its 43-acre estate, intending to turn it into a visitor attraction with accessible state rooms and a County Museum. In May 2016 a virtual reality tour of the Hurd Library was devised.[14]
In April 2018 renovations were completed and the Castle opened to visitors. The Bishops Palace can be explored with audio guides, talking portraits and interactive displays. The grounds are open with a nature trail. There is a Worcestershire County Museum and a café.
Hartlebury Castle today
Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust was able to purchase the Castle in 2015 with the help of a £5m grant from The Lottery Heritage Fund and renovation began.[17] A concept was developed to tell its story through the Pepys family, with digital portraits, an audio-guide and interactive displays of its history.[18] The Nature Trail takes visitors round the grounds and the Moat Walk, past a sunken garden, orchard terrace, boardwalk and carriage circle.[19] The café is open all day.[20] The adjacent Worcestershire County Museum has been located on the site for over 50 years. The intention is to make the Castle financially self-sufficient.[21] The Castle can also be privately hired.[22]
Worcestershire County Museum
The
rooms.The grounds include a
See also
Notes
- ^ "Hartlebury Castle, Hartlebury". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 16 September 2011. (The listing text provides a full architectural description).
- ^ Hooke 1990, p. 101.
- ^ a b Worcestershire Council staff 2010.
- ^ Willis-Bund 1913, pp. 380–387.
- ^ a b c d e Burton 1890, p. 201.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "HISTORY". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ John Nichols, Progresses of Queen Elizabeth, vol. 1 (London, 1823), pp. 533 and 536.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "HISTORY". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ Cornah, Tim (2023). "Civil War archaeology at Hartlebury Castle". Worcestershire Recorder. 108: 7.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "HISTORY". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ Avery 1984, "Introduction".
- ^ &subId=0 "HARTLEBURY CASTLE PRESERVATION TRUST, registered charity no. 1127871". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
{{cite web}}
: Check|url=
value (help) - ^ BBC News, 17 August 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- ^ Hurd Library VR Tour
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "ABOUT US". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "ABOUT US". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "ABOUT US". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "WHAT TO SEE". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "The Grounds". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "PLAN YOUR VISIT". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "PLAN YOUR VISIT". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ Broadway, Beth. "ABOUT US". Hartlebury Castle. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
References
- Avery, Gillian (1984). "Introduction". The Journal of Emily Pepys. London: Prospect Books. ISBN 0-907325-24-6.
- Willis-Bund, John William (1913). "Parishes: Hartlebury". The Victoria History of the County of Worcester. Vol. 3. pp. 380–387.
- Hooke, D. (1990). Worcestershire Anglo-Saxon Charter-bounds. Woodbridge: Boydell. p. 101.
- Worcestershire Council staff (23 February 2010). "A Brief History of Hartlebury Castle". Worcestershire County Council. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- Attribution
- Burton, John Richard (1890). A history of Kidderminster, with short accounts of some neighbouring parishes. London: E. Stock. p. 201.