Kimbolton Castle

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are no visible remains

NameKimbolton Castle
Alternative NamesKinnibantum
Historic CountryHuntingdonshire
Modern AuthorityCambridgeshire
1974 AuthorityCambridgeshire
Civil ParishKimbolton

It is uncertain when exactly the first castle was built in Kimbolton. There is a mound in the Great Park that is called Castle Hill ... If the castle existed in the mid-12th century it does not appear to have been permanent. Towards the end of the century, Geoffrey Fitz Piers (later Earl of Essex) became the lord of Kimbolton, and he built a manor house here by 1201. The first reference to a castle is in 1217, and it was attacked in 1221. The survey of 1279 refers to it as a 'forcelet', being something less than a fully developed castle. Kimbolton continued its passage from lordship to lordship throughout the mediaeval period, and under such circumstances the development of the town and castle depended on the attitude of which ever family happened to hold it. In the 15th century it was rebuilt by Anne, Duchess of Buckingham, and again in 1523 by Sir Richard Wingfield, who used stone from Higham Ferrers Castle. It was in this version of the castle that Catharine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII died in 1536. There is a map of 1582 showing the layout at the time. In 1615 the estate passed to the Montague family, and the castle was rebuilt in 1617–20 and again in 1699. The gatehouse was added in 1766. It was during the 17th century that the Great Park was created, incorporating and replacing two earlier parks in the vicinity that had existed since 1248. The house was kept in the hands of the Montagues until 1950 when it became the home of Kimbolton School. (Cambridgeshire Extensive Urban Survey: Kimbolton)

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTL100677
Latitude52.2955513000488
Longitude-0.387160003185272
Eastings510000
Northings267700
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 385, 413, 474
  • Lowerre, A.G., 2007, 'A GIS Analysis of the Location of Late-Eleventh-Century Castles in the Southeastern Midlands of England' in' Clark, J.T. and E.M. Hagemeister (eds.) Digital Discovery. Exploring New Frontiers in Human Heritage (Archaeolingua) p. 239-252 online copy
  • Lowerre, A.G., 2005, Placing Castles in the Conquest. Landscape, Lordship and Local Politics in the South-Eastern Midlands, 1066-1100 (Oxford: John and Erica Hedges Ltd: BAR British Series 385) p. 237-8 (mention)
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 20
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 2 East Anglia, Central England and Wales (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 264
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 13 (slight)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 225
  • Pevsner, N., 1968, Buildings of England: Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough p. 276
  • Page, Wm, Proby, Granville and Ladds, S. Inskip (eds), 1936, VCH Huntingdonshire Vol. 3 p. 77-80
  • RCHME, 1926, An inventory of the historical monuments in Huntingdonshire p. 170-3 no. 2 (plan) online transcription
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 1 p. 317-18 online copy
  • Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol. 2 (London) p. 245-7 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Camden, Wm, 1607, Britannia hypertext critical edition by Dana F. Sutton (2004)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 239
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1907, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 1 p. 2 online copy

Journals

  • Various, 1967, 'The History and Archaeology of the Cambridge Area' Archeaological Journal Vol. 124 p. 247-50
  • Archdale, M., 1966, Country Life Vol. 140
  • Brown, R. Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol. 74 p. 249-280 (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 90-121) view online copy (subscription required)
  • Tipping, 1911, Country Life Vol. 30 p. 440-6, 474-82 (only on modern structure)

Guide Books

  • Burkett, P.R., Kimbolton Castle (published by Kimbolton School)

Primary Sources

  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) (lists sources for 1272-1422) p. 257-8
  • The National Archives E36/150 Survey of the lands late of Edward, duke of Buckingham, attainted online details

Other

  • Lowerre, A.G., 2004, Placing Castles in the Conquest. Landscape, Lordship and Local Politics in the South-Eastern Midlands, 1066-1100 (PhD thesis: Boston College) p. 504-5
  • Cambridgeshire Extensive Urban Survey: Kimbolton. Draft Report 03/03/2003 online copy