Lichfield Castle

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Other/Unknown)

There are no visible remains

NameLichfield Castle
Alternative NamesCastrum Lichesfeldenfe
Historic CountryStaffordshire
Modern AuthorityStaffordshire
1974 AuthorityStaffordshire
Civil ParishLichfield

Lichfield Castle is said to have existed in the period between 1129 to 1148, probably in the Wade/Frog Street area, although place-name evidence may indicate that the allusion to a castle may derive from a possible Saxon burh. There may also have been a timber phase between the late 11th to early 12th centuries. There are no remains, but Richard II is said to have spent Christmas 1397 there and was confined there two years later; Castle Field was recorded in the south part of the town circa 1540, and Castle Ditch in the east part in 1798. An account written in 1347 by a canon of Lichfield states that Roger de Clinton (1129-1148) fortified the castle of Lichfield. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

There are no remains, but castle field was recorded in the south part of the town circa 1540, and Castle Ditch in the east part in 1798. An account written in 1347 by a Cannon of Lichfield states that Bishop Roger de Clinton (1129-1148) fortified the castle of Lichfield. VCH attributes castle place names in south of town to possible Anglo-Saxon fortification at Borrowcop Hill and places castle in Cathedral Close. It does seem that the fortified cathedral close was described as a castellum about 1200. It is just possible that there was a timber castle of some sort in the town in the early C12 (probably started at the same time as Tamworth and Stafford i.e. c.1070) but the tenurial history (the town was held by the church) does not really support that idea. The work by Bishop Clinton was probably done on the cathedral close. Leland noted the supposed southern location of the castle but felt the Close was the true location of the castle. The 'castle' may be a reference to a bishop's unfortified court house within the town.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSK119095
Latitude52.6823616027832
Longitude-1.8264399766922
Eastings411900
Northings309500
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 32
  • Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p. 61
  • Greenslade, M.W. (ed), 1990, VCH Staffordshire Vol. 14 p. 7, 60 online transcription
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 452
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 225
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)

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. 437, 443
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1908, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 2 p. 99 online copy ; Vol. 5 p. 19 [online copy > http://archive.org/stream/itineraryofjohnl05lelauoft#page/19/mode/1up]

Journals

  • 1983-4, Transactions of South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 25
  • Palliser, D.M., 1972, 'Staffordshire Castles: A Provisional List' Staffordshire Archaeology Vol. 1 p. 5-8
  • Barns, T., 1913, North Staffordshire Field Club transactions Vol. 48 p. 123-8

Primary Sources

  • Wharton, H., 1691, Anglia Sacra Vol. 1 p. 434 online copy