Old Skegness Castle

Has been described as a Questionable Uncertain

There are no visible remains

NameOld Skegness Castle
Alternative Names
Historic CountryLincolnshire
Modern AuthorityLincolnshire
1974 AuthorityLincolnshire
Civil ParishSkegness

Skegnesse sumtyme a great haven toune a 4. or 5. miles of. Mr. Paynelle sayid onto me that he could prove that there was ons an haven and a towne waullid having also a castelle. The old toune is clene consumid, and eten up with the se, part of a chirch of it stode a late. At low waters appere yet manifest tokens of old buildinges. For old Skegnes is now buildid a pore new thing. (Leland)

Gatehouse Comments

King writes 'Castle identified by Leland on flimsy information' Leland's report of information from Mr Paynell is unsupported but not flimsy. Osbourne (2010) suggests this may have been Roman. Medieval Skegness was a prosperous little port, like several others along this coast, but a great tempest in 1526 broke through the headland and the town crumbled into the sea. Rebuilt nearly a mile inland of the old site, but now again on the coast, so any physical evidence of a castle will now be lost and even reading the landscape is impossible. However the name Skegness must mean that originally there was some sort of promontory here and other such promontories were used as a location for defensive sites by medieval and Roman builders (i.e. Scarborough) There is no primary medieval references to a castle. Although Skegness was reasonably prosperous port in the medieval period it is not likely to have been a large enough to support a castle. A lost Roman signal station or even a small Roman fort are possible. In 1526 Skegness would seem to have been rather 'bracing' than usual.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTF590630
Latitude53.1404609680176
Longitude0.375629991292953
Eastings559000
Northings363000
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Osborne, Mike, 2010, Defending Lincolnshire: A Military History from Conquest to Cold War (The History Press) p. 20
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 265 (possible)
  • White, W., 1872, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire (Sheffield) p. 286-7 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 300
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1909, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 4 p. 181 online copy