Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire
Tattershall Castle is located on the edge of the village of Tattershall about 12 miles north east from the market town of Sleaford.
The site originally was occupied by a 13th century manor house, this was inherited by Ralph, the 3rd Baron Cromwell, in 1419. Upon becoming Lord Treasurer in 1434, he sought a residence that reflected his elevated status, commissioning the impressive, 110-foot-high Great Tower using over a million locally made bricks. The use of brick was a fashionable and expensive choice at the time, making the castle a trendsetter that later inspired architecture at places like Hampton Court Palace.
During the English Civil War in 1643, Royalist forces attacked the castle, leaving only the Great Tower intact. After 1693, the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair, with its floors collapsing and the ground floor of the tower even being used as a cattle shed.
In 1910, the castle was sold to an American consortium, and its magnificent Gothic fireplaces were ripped out and prepared for shipping to the United States. The Reverend of the local Holy Trinity Church contacted Lord Curzon of Kedleston, a British statesman and conservationist, who bought the castle just in time, tracked down the fireplaces in London, and reinstated them.
Lord Curzon undertook extensive restoration work and, upon his death in 1925, bequeathed the castle to the National Trust, who have cared for it and opened it to the public ever since. The near-loss of Tattershall prompted the passing of the Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913, a pivotal piece of heritage protection legislation.
Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire
Tattershall Castle is located on the edge of the village of Tattershall about 12 miles north east from the market town of Sleaford.
The site originally was occupied by a 13th century manor house, this was inherited by Ralph, the 3rd Baron Cromwell, in 1419. Upon becoming Lord Treasurer in 1434, he sought a residence that reflected his elevated status, commissioning the impressive, 110-foot-high Great Tower using over a million locally made bricks. The use of brick was a fashionable and expensive choice at the time, making the castle a trendsetter that later inspired architecture at places like Hampton Court Palace.
During the English Civil War in 1643, Royalist forces attacked the castle, leaving only the Great Tower intact. After 1693, the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair, with its floors collapsing and the ground floor of the tower even being used as a cattle shed.
In 1910, the castle was sold to an American consortium, and its magnificent Gothic fireplaces were ripped out and prepared for shipping to the United States. The Reverend of the local Holy Trinity Church contacted Lord Curzon of Kedleston, a British statesman and conservationist, who bought the castle just in time, tracked down the fireplaces in London, and reinstated them.
Lord Curzon undertook extensive restoration work and, upon his death in 1925, bequeathed the castle to the National Trust, who have cared for it and opened it to the public ever since. The near-loss of Tattershall prompted the passing of the Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act 1913, a pivotal piece of heritage protection legislation.