Hadleigh Castle

Hadleigh Castle (gbmapping|TQ810860) in the English county of Essex overlooks the Thames estuary from a ridge to the south of the town of Hadleigh. Built in the 1230s [Kenyon, 2005. (p. 73)] during the reign of King Henry III, the structure is the most important late-medieval castle in Essex and is now preserved by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The ruins of the castle are the most prominent historical landmark in the local surrounding area and provided part of the name for the newly formed borough of Castle Point in 1974.

History

The construction of Hadleigh castle began during the reign of King Henry III in 1230 for Hubert de Burgh - 1st Earl of Kent and Chief Justiciar of England, but the castle was requisitioned in 1232 by Henry after Hubert was imprisoned.Robins, 2007.] The Heritage Trail, 2007.]

The castle was built of Kentish ragstone and cemented by a mortar containing a large proportion of seashells; particularly cockleshells from the cockle beds of neighbouring Canvey Island. [King, 1858. (p. 84).] As a royal property it was heavily extended in the 1360s [Kenyon, 2005. (p. 92)] by Edward III and it is mainly these extensions that remain. The castle and its adjoining 500 acre park [http://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/GeneralM.asp?id=SX9452-A77FACA2 Castle Point] ] formed part of the dower of several English queens in the 15th and 16th centuries, including Elizabeth Woodville (wife of Edward IV) and three of the wives of Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves, and Catherine Parr. Edward VI sold it in 1551 for £700 to Lord Rich of Leez Priory in Chelmsford who used the castle as a source of stone for other buildings such as churches. The castle later passed from the possession of Lord Rich to the Barnard family. [Storer, 1810. (p. 146).]

Years of neglect and the effects of land subsidence had left the castle in ruins by the 17th century, but two towers constructed in the era of Edward III still remain. One of the three-storey towers at the eastern side built from rubble with ashlar dressings stands to nearly full height and has narrow rectangular windows in the upper levels. The second tower has not fared as well, appearing to have partially disintegrated in a landslip and consequently has lost approximately two-thirds of its form. Some sections of the curtain exist, the foundations of the great hall, two solars, and the kitchen remain. There is also a barbican which once stood adjacent to a swing-bridge. [English Heritage. Hadleigh Castle (on site information board).]

John Constable

The English painter John Constable visited Hadleigh in 1814 and made a minute drawing of the castle as preparation for ten oil sketches and a single painting. The oil painting was produced in 1829 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in the same year. [Under the close supervision of Constable, David Lucas produced an engraving of the painting. The work was published in "Characteristic of English Scenery, from Pictures Painted by John Constable" between June 1830 and July 1832.] One of the sketches is currently displayed at the Tate Gallery, London, [see Duff, 2006.] while the painting now hangs in the Yale Center for British Art at New Haven, United States. [The painting is part of the Paul Mellon collection.]

Folklore

A black figure is reported to have been seen wandering the grounds, usually accompanied by strange whispering. This figure is supposedly the ghost of the local witch doctor of the 19th Century, James 'Cunning' Murrell. It is said the figure wanders about, collecting herbs for his spells. [Haunted Churches and other Myths & Legends: [http://www.paranormaldatabase.com/reports/church.php?pageNum_paradata=4&totalRows_paradata=528 James Murrell Gathering Herbs] . Paranormal Database. Retrieved 2008-09-04.]

Many years ago, there was also a story of a woman been visited by a ghost. The ghost supposedly asked the woman to return the next night. When she failed to show up, the ghost is said to have struck her about the face, supposedly giving her a bad neck for the rest of her life.Verify source|date=September 2008

Hadleigh Country Park

Hadleigh Country Park is located on land adjacent to the Salvation Army farm, that surrounds the castle. The park is owned and managed by Essex County Council and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with special regard for invertebrates. [Hadleigh Country Park Website [http://www.hadleighcountrypark.co.uk] ]

Rangers host events and activities throughout the year including stargazing walks in winter, glow-worm hunts in summer and the seasonal "Santa in the Park" at Christmas. [http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/guc.jsp?channelOid=14413&guideOid=16906&guideContentOid=14438 Essex County Council] ]

Within the Hadleigh Castle Country Park a reproduction iron age round house has recently been constructed, which is used for special events and educational visits. Hadleigh rangers also offer Roman, Iron Age and Saxon experiences and a mock archaeological dig.

The grounds of the castle will be the location of the mountain biking events for the 2012 Summer Olympics, after the original location of Weald Country Park near Brentwood was dismissed by the International Cycling Federation as too flat to challenge the competitors. [BBC. (2008-06-06). Look East: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/lookeast/content/articles/2008/06/06/olympics_biking_feature.shtml Biking back on the agenda] . Retrieved 2008-06-10.] [ [http://www.london2012.com/news/media-releases/2008-08/new-mountain-biking-venue-in-essex-confirmed-for-the-london-2012-games.php New mountain bike venue confirmed for London 2012 Games] , London2012.com, 11 August 2008]

=

ee also

* Rayleigh Castle

Notes

References

* Duff, Natahsa. (2006). [http://www.tate.org.uk/research/tateresearch/tatepapers/06spring/duff.htm Constable's Sketch for Hadleigh Castle: A Technical Examination, Tate Research] . Retrieved: 2008-06-11
* The Heritage Trail. (2007). [http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/hadleigh_castle.htm Hadleigh Castle] . theheritagetrail.co.uk. Retrieved: 2008-06-11
* Kenyon, John R. (2005). Medieval Fortifications. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0826478867.
* King, H. W. (1858). [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yegGAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA82&dq Hadleigh Castle] . Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society. Part I, Vol I.
* Robins, Simon and Gina. (2007). [http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/england/hadleigh/hadleigh.php Hadleigh Castle] . CastleXplorer.co.uk. Retrieved: 2008-06-11
* Storer, James. (1810). Antiquarian and Topographical Cabinet, Containing a Series of Elegant Views of the most interesting objects of curiosity in Great Britain. [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eL8uAAAAMAAJ&pg=PT104&dq Hadleigh Castle, Essex] . Published for the proprietors by W. Clarke. Retrieved: 2008-06-11
* Tate Online. (2008). [http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=2719&tabview=text Hadleigh Castle near the Nore published 1832] . Retrieved 2008-06-11.
* Tate Online. (2008). [http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=2617 Sketch for 'Hadleigh Castle' circa 1828-9 by John Constable] . Retrieved: 2008-06-11
* Yale Center for British Art. [http://ycba.yale.edu/collections/coll_p-s-index.html Collections: Paintings & Sculpture] . Retrieved: 2008-06-11

External links

*IoEentry|116824|Listing on imagesofengland.org.uk
* [http://www.hadleighcountrypark.co.uk The official Hadleigh Country Park website]