Rugby Hall Place

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Other/Unknown), and also as a Questionable Fortified Manor House

There are no visible remains

NameRugby Hall Place
Alternative NamesRokeby; Hawle Place; Sir Henry Rokebye's castle
Historic CountryWarwickshire
Modern AuthorityWarwickshire
1974 AuthorityWarwickshire
Civil ParishRugby

There was a little castle at Rokeby (Rugby) "... which stood about a furlong (C. 200m) from the church northwards as is to be seen by the banks of earth and part of the moat yet remaining. I am of opinion that this was one of those castles built in King Stephen's time ... the inhabitants have it by tradition that it was Sir Henry Rokesbyes' castle" (Dugdale). Norman spur found 60 years ago on the site of the moated area in the field behind in church Street. The moat represents the early Medieval manor house of Rugby (Bloxham). (PastScape)

There was a little castle at Rugby which stood about a furlong (200m) to the N of the church. The banks of earth and part of the moat still remain. Dugdale believed that it was built at the time of King Stephen. The inhabitants call it by tradition Sir Henry Rokebye's castle (ref. Dugdale).

Norman spur found 60 years ago on the site of the moated area in the field behind in church Street. The moat represents the early Medieval manor house of Rugby (Bloxham).

Chatwin suggests that this was an Adulterine Castle (Chatwin).

The remains of earthworks and a moat. Leland c1545 records the earthworks and the name 'Hawle Place'. It is likely to have been a moated manor house from the remains shown on the 6" OS map of 1885. The site is now built over (VCH). (Warwickshire HER)

Gatehouse Comments

The evidence that this was an adulterine castle or that it dated from the time of Stephen is a 'Norman' spur found the 1820s and apparently identified as such by a school master. A more secure identification and other evidence are needed for any Norman date and the specific Anarchy date is merely received wisdom from the late C19. The VCH though it was simple a moated manor house of undefined medieval date also quoting Leland 'There appere certen diches at Rugby, the market towne in Warwikeshire, where the Rugbys, gentilmen of fame, dwellid. . . . The place thus diched is yet caulled the Hawle Place.'. This is suggestive more of a late medieval moated hall than an Norman embanked castle, although these two are not mutually exclusive.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP504754
Latitude52.3750495910645
Longitude-1.26092004776001
Eastings450410
Northings275480
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1992, Castles and Moated Mansions of Warwickshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 43
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 486 (possible)
  • Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1951 VCH Warwickshire Vol. 6 p. 147, 203 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. 361 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Dugdale, Wm., 1656, The Antiquities of Warwickshire (Thomas Warren) p. 16 online copy
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 477
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1909, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 4 p. 118 online copy

Journals

  • Chatwin, P.B., 1947-8, 'Castles in Warwickshire' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol. 67 p. 23-4
  • Bloxam, M.H., 1885, RSNHS (Rugby School Natural History Society?) p. 1-2