Torpel Manor House
Has been described as a Questionable Masonry Castle, and also as a Questionable Fortified Manor House
There are masonry footings remains
| Name | Torpel Manor House |
| Alternative Names | Lawn Wood |
| Historic Country | Northamptonshire and the Soke of Peterborough |
| Modern Authority | Peterborough; City of |
| 1974 Authority | Cambridgeshire |
| Civil Parish | Bainton |
Square keep with pilaster buttresses. (Renn - mislocated in Huntingdonshire)
4 miles N of Castor on the E side of the Ro road called King St. Here 'the foundations of a square structure, supposed to be Ro, once existed, and perhaps are still visible, in a little wood called Ashton Lawn' in the S of the parish. (Trollope, Associated Archit Soc Reports, 9, 1868, 156).
The remains of the manor house of Torpel lie at the SE corner of a large wood, known as the Lawn, to the SE of the hamlet of Ashton. Little beyond rubble masonry is left, but there is enough to show that the building was of great strength, being a square of 40ft inside, with walls 9ft thick. A little ashlar facing with a vaulting shaft remains at the SW angle inside, suggesting that there was a vaulted basement. The date of the remains can only be given within wide limits, but the masonry seems to be of the C14.
Claimed as an important new discovery and identified as Torpel Castle. Situated at TF10690525 are the remains of the building above noted. The architectural descriptions are in the main acceptable, save that the suggested corner turrets are not definite and the circular stair could not be identified. The building is not erected on a motte; fallen stone, humus, debris and surface levelling prior to the construction now give the impression of a mound adjacent to the E wall only. There is no moat; the water feature suggested as such is now a duck breeding pond and was probably originally a decoy. The purpose of the building can only be suggested. Torpel Castle motte and bailey is some 400m ENE and this may have been either a summer residence or hunting lodge to the castle (its situation, within a prepared park, is typical of the latter). The VCH suggestion that this was Torpel manor house may be correct, the manorial seat having moved here when the motte became untenable (probably early in the C14 when the last mention of the village occurs)
In size the building is small and a large establishment is not feasible. There was disparking by 1554 so the tenure was possibly short and the suggestion that this was the original Torpel Castle could not be substantiated. Extant architectural remains suggest a late C13 - early C14 date of construction. There are no adjacent defences, outworks or building sites.
Here undoubtedly is the base of a massive C12 keep-like structure, built of Barnack stone. The walls are in places standing 8ft high and the thickness varies from 6 - 10ft. Remains of central and corner pilaster buttresses can be seen and at the NE end is the base of a garderobe shoot. Inside, the ashlar walling of the SW angle is in good condition and part of a C13 semi octagonal vaulting shaft is in position. Part of a wide wet moat remains on the E side. The building is somewhat overgrown, but from what I could see it was of large size and traces of further buildings could be made out. The castle, for that it was I feel sure, stands at the S end of Lawn Wood, which is being levelled. I urgently recommend that the remains be scheduled without delay, otherwise the ruins will disappear like the wood. This is an astonishing discovery for, as far as I know, there is nothing like it until one comes to Hedingham Castle in Essex. The ruin lies approximately 500m W of ...... King Street and is almost obliterated by scrub, fallen wood and nettles and surrounded by derelict woodland. The keep base is approximately 25m square, though the walls no where stand to more than one and a half metres in height and are covered in lichen and moss, with trees growing out of the masonry in many places. Traces of building still visible in interior, though nearly overgrown. Walling at SW angle visible as octagonal vaulting shaft. Garderobe shaft not apparent, though a recess visible at the NE end. The whole is in an extremely poor condition with stonework disintegrating and difficult to recognize. Function ? Finished? Occupation ? Relationship to surrounding Near manor site settlements. (City of Peterborough HER)
(TF 10700525) The remains of the manor house of Torpel lie at the south-east corner of Lawn Wood. Little beyond rubble masonry is left, but there is enough to show that the building was of great strength, being a square of 40ft (inside) with walls 9ft thick. A little ashlar facing with a vaulting shaft remains at the interior south-west angle suggesting a vaulted basement. The date of the masonry can only be given within wide limits, but it seems 14th century. The site was moated. Claimed as an important new discovery and identified as Topel Castle. (VCH; Trollope 1867; Dickinson)
Situated at TF 1069805254 are the remains of the building above noted. The architectural descriptions are in the main acceptable, save that the suggested corner turrets are not definite and the circular stair could not be identified. The building is not erected on a motte; fallen stone, humus, debris and surface levelling prior to the construction now give the impression of a mound adjacent to the east wall only. There is no moat; the water feature suggested as such is now a duck breeding pond and was probably originally a decoy. The purpose of the building can only be suggested.
Torpel Castle motte and bailey is some 400m. ENE. and this may have been either a summer residence or hunting lodge to the castle (its situation, within a prepared park, is typical of the latter). VCH suggestion that this was Torpel manor house may be correct, the manorial seat having moved here when the motte became untenable (probably early in the 14c. when the last mention of the village occurs). In size the building is small and a large establishment is not feasible. There was disparking by 1554 so the tenure was possibly short and the suggestion by Trollope that this was the original Torpel Castle could not be substantiated. Extant architectural remains suggest a L13c. - E14c. date of construction. There are no adjacent defences, outworks or building sites (F1 FDC 28-FEB-69).
This site has become known as Torpel Castle but there is little evidence that this was the site of a castle. It is probable that the earthwork site to the east (TF 10 NW 13) was the manor house of Torpel and that the building is the remains of a deer park lodge. (For deer park, see TF 10 NW 36) (Crowther). (PastScape)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | TF106052 |
| Latitude | 52.6337203979492 |
| Longitude | -0.36583998799324 |
| Eastings | 510690 |
| Northings | 305250 |
