Chester Castle
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte Ringwork), and also as a Certain Masonry Castle
There are masonry ruins/remnants remains
| Name | Chester Castle |
| Alternative Names | Agricola tower; Cestre |
| Historic Country | Cheshire |
| Modern Authority | Cheshire |
| 1974 Authority | Cheshire |
| Civil Parish | Chester Castle |
Agricola tower is the only feature of Castle which survived the destruction of the medieval castle by fire in late C18. Castle was originally an earthwork fortress of motte and bailey type built in 1070 by William I. The wooden tower was replaced by a stone tower in C12. The perimeter was walled in stone in late C12. Lower bailey was added in C13. New gates with drum towers were added to the inner bailey in C13 when the gate through Agricola tower was walled up. The outer bailey was walled with stone 1247-51, a new castle chamber added in 1246-7, and the Great Hall built 1250-3. The outer gatehouse was built 1292-3.Castle served as the administrative centre of the Earldom throughout the Mediaeval period. Castle was replaced after C18 fire by the buildings of the Shire Hall circa 1811. The curtain walls are listed Grade I and II. Part of the castle is scheduled. (PastScape)
Although built by William I, except during minorities or once when forfeited to the Crown in 1174, the castle was a possession of the Earls of Chester. However, with the death of the last Earl in 1237, it permanently passed to the Crown. It was extensively renovated in 1246-51 during Henry III's Welsh Wars. (HKW Vol. 2) The Earldom of Chester remained a royal patrimony throughout the Mediaeval period, and the castle at Chester remained a centre of judicial activity. Expenditure on the castle was mainly in the form of maintenance, and usually inadequate at that. The only new construction between 1485 and 1649 was the Prince's Hall to provide accommodation for the shire court. Although never wholly neglected, the sums spent on the fabric of the castle were comparatively small. (HKW Vol. 3)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
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 Reference | SJ404657 |
| Latitude | 53.1854286193848 |
| Longitude | -2.89279007911682 |
| Eastings | 340480 |
| Northings | 365730 |
