- Pilsbury Castle
Pilsbury Castle was a Norman Castle in
Derbyshire near the present dayvillage ofPilsbury , overlooking the River Dove. Its origins and history are shrouded in mystery, but it was part of the extensive estates granted toHenry de Ferrers (sometimes spelt Ferrars), by King William.By the
twentieth century there was little to see except for a mound on a limestone outcrop and the remains of various earthworks. At the beginning of the present century, however, archaeological surveys have revealed the foundations of a substantial Norman motte and bailey castle.A clue to its origins lies in the record that the two manors of
Hartington were valued at 40s. in1066 but were waste twenty years later. This was in line with Williams policy of laying waste, or "harrying", rebel areas of the country, and the castle may have been built to retain control. This would have to be confirmed by, for instance, archaeological assays of layers of ash. [Turbutt, G., (1999) "A History of Derbyshire. Volume 2: Medieval Derbyshire," Cardiff: Merton Priory Press] Another suggestion is that it was built by Robert de Ferrers or his father, around the period known asThe Anarchy for, while the de Ferrers supportedStephen of England , the neighbouring Earl of Chester supportedEmpress Matilda . [Landon, N. Ash, P. Payne, A. Phillips, G, (2006) "Pilsbury: A Forgotten Castle," Derbyshire Archaeological Journal, Vol 126; Pp 82‑102]It is thought that it was built of timber as was usual in the early days and, by the next century, seems to have passed out of use. It may be that it was destroyed after William de Ferrers' part in the
Revolt of 1173–1174 , or it might have become abandoned when the land passed to theDuchy of Lancaster after the sixth Earl was dispossessed. It may simply have become redundant as nearbyHartington grew in importance.References
External links
* [http://www.pilsburycastle.org.uk/home_frameset.html Pilsbury Castle website]
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