- John O'Gaunt's Castle
John O'Gaunts Castle, previously known as "Castle Manor" and "Bassingbourn Manor", is the earthwork remains of a
fortified manor house , located inBassingbourn cum Kneesworth , a civil parish inCambridgeshire ,England , one mile west-soutwest of Bassingbourn Barracks, off of Fen Road. (gbmapping|TL325451).History
After the
Norman invasion in 1066, Comte Alan of Brittany was given the desirable Bassingbourn Manor, which was mentioned in theDomesday Book of 1086. His descendant, Warin De Bassingbourne (born 1225) received permission tofortify Bassingbourn Manor in October 1266. Hefortified the manor into a double moated enclosurecastle , which he named "Castle Manor". Today it is known as John O'Gaunts castle. From the mid 1400s to the 1600s, Castle Manor was owned by the Lynne family.Facing John O'Gaunts castle over the Fillance, an open space then called the Kyllands, is Richmond Manor, which was owned by the monarch, or a close family member. One such owner was
John of Gaunt . Another owner wasLady Margaret Beaufort , mother of Henry VII.Present
In December 1999,
English Heritage scheduled the site, meriting recognition because it had been a double moatedmanor house . Part of themoat has recently received attention from the village conservation group, who have cleared the banks.External links
* [http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/English%20sites/126.html The Gatehouse]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.