Castlefacts³

Burton Upon Trent Castle

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

There are no visible remains

Name	Burton Upon Trent Castle
Alternative Names	Burt
Historic Country	Staffordshire
Modern Authority	Staffordshire
1974 Authority	Staffordshire
Civil Parish	Burton Upon Trent

Henry de Ferrers, says Domesday Book, has half a hide in Burton, in which his castle sits. There is not now the slightest trace of any castle at Burton-on-Trent, which is the Burton in question. There is no mention in history of a castle at Burton; nor do the rather detailed charters in the Monasticon relating to Burton make any allusion to a castle. Moreover the abbot of Burton held the whole town, by the gift of Wulfric Sprot, long before the Conquest; and in Henry I's time he had the full feudal court which one would expect to find in the hands of the castellan, if there were one. Erdswick thought that the Domesday scribe had made a slip, and entered Henry de Ferrers's castle of Tutbury, which is only five miles off, for Burton. Tutbury Castle, however, is mentioned in its own place. (Armitage, 1904)

Eyton says that at Domesday, Burton was a district as well as a town, and included what is now the parish of Tutbury. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Camden records Burton as having had a castle of the Ferrars (Ferrariorum castro) but is probably just working from Domesday. Recorded royal visits to Burton seem to have used the Abbey.It is usually suggested that the mention of castle of Burt is probably an error for Burg of Tutbury (King footnotes this suggestion but records Burton as a vanished castle). However, Burton was an important crossing of the Trent and most other crossing points of this strategical important river did have castles. The place-name Burton means 'a settlement at a fortified place' and dates from the C8, no remains of any Saxon defences have been found. It is suggested these defences were of the monastic site but is that actual so and what state were these possible Saxon fortifications in in C11? Could they have been utilised for a short-lived castle? Any 'castle' based on one of the islands in the Trent at this point would be naturally defensible and archaeological remains are likely to have been destroyed, or at least well hidden, by alluvial erosion and deposits. However, the tenurial history, as given by Armitage and the VCH, is clearly not suggestive of a castle here and it does seem the Domesday Book reference is to the castellry of Tutbury Castle.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

922450

County Historic Environment Record

www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MST1228&resourceID=1010

OS Map Grid Reference	SK255233
Latitude	52.8051605224609
Longitude	-1.62196004390717
Eastings	425500
Northings	323300