Lulworth Castle

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Other/Unknown), and also as a Possible Masonry Castle

There are no visible remains

NameLulworth Castle
Alternative NamesPoyning's Castle; Lullewarde; Lullewarden; Lolleworth; Loleworhe; Lulleworda; Est Lilleworth
Historic CountryDorset
Modern AuthorityDorset
1974 AuthorityDorset
Civil ParishEast Lulworth

Castle is documented at West Lulworth 1146 when it was taken by the Earl of Gloucester. (PastScape–ref. King map reference SY8381)

The goodly maner place of the Newborowes, lords of Est Lilleworth, is hard by the paroch chirch. (Leland)

The site of the C12 castle is not known. There is nothing in Malmesbury's Chronicle to suggest it was in West Lulworth. The Grade 1 listed hunting lodge of 1610 now bearing the name of Lulworth Castle (SY855821), is close to the parish church of St Andrew and may well be the site of the medieval manor house of East Lulworth and is a possible site for the C12 castle and is sometimes suggested as the site of a late medieval masonry castle (It is even suggested the C17 house follows the form and foundations of this castle with comparison made to Nunney Castle . Hutchin recorded foundations being dug up near the west end of the church and supposed these might be the Newborough's manor house.

A medieval manor house existed in Lulworth Camp beside a lost chapel of ease or church, confusingly, also dedicated to St Andrew (see PastScape no. 455589.

Lulworth St Andrew, anciently a manor, but now only a farm, was mentioned circa 1288 and 1303 and was probably one of the "Lolowordes" mentioned in Domesday (Hutchin p. 377-8).

St Andrew's Farm (SY 836810), mentioned by Strode circa 1628, and so called from 'a church which stood there dedicated to St Andrew'. Manor of 'Lulworth St Andrew' mentioned 1302, 1430 and 1502 (Miles). (PastScape no. 455588)

It may be argued that West Lulworth, beside Lulworth Cove, would be the more strategic place to have a castle. Bindon Abbey was founded in 1149, for Cistercian monks, by William de Glastonia (PastScape no

455101 map reference SY83017986). There are possible examples of minor castle sites of Anarchy date being given as the base for a monastic foundation (ie. Bridlington Trentham .

Gatehouse Comments

The Dorset Castles Research Group have undertaken investigation into three possible sites of Lulworth Castle (not necessarily the same as those suggested here) but the results are unknown to Gatehouse. Further information on this would be welcome. The given map reference, for the C17 Lulworth Castle, is given for convenience only.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSY855821
Latitude50.6391181945801
Longitude-2.2087299823761
Eastings385500
Northings82100
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 22
  • Pomeroy, Colin, 1998, Discover Dorset Castles and Forts (Dovecote Press)
  • Wilton, P., 1995, Castles of Dorset (Wimborne)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 129
  • Mills, A.D., 1977, The Place-Names of Dorset, Part 1 (English Place-Name Society 52) p. 131-2
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 233
  • Berkeley, Joan, 1971, Lulworth and the Welds (Blackmore)
  • RCHME, 1970, An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset Vol. 2: south-east (HMSO) p. 144- 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. 247 online copy
  • Hutchins, J., 1861-73 (3edn), History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset (Blandford) Vol. 1 p. 371-

Antiquarian

  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1907, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 1 p. 253 online copy

Journals

  • Simonich, Sue, 2011 Feb, 'In Search of Castle Lulworth' Dorset Castles Research Group Newsletter No. 2 online copy [online copy > http://www.dcrg.org.uk/webpages/News/img8.jpg] [online copy > http://www.dcrg.org.uk/webpages/News/img9.jpg] [online copy > http://www.dcrg.org.uk/webpages/News/imgB.jpg] [online copy > http://www.dcrg.org.uk/webpages/News/imgC.jpg]
  • < >Goodall, John, 2000 Jan 13, 'Lulworth Castle, Dorset' Country Life Vol. 43.9 p. 34-39 (reprinted in Liddiard, Robert (ed), 2016, Late Medieval Castles (Boydell Press) p. 157-166) < >
  • Blundell, W., 1892, 'Lulworth Castle' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol. 13 p. 141 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Potter, K.R. (ed), 1955, The Historia Novella of William of Malmesbury (Nelson's Medieval Texts) p. 76 (A revised edition by Edmund King (Oxford University Press, 1999) should also be consulted)
  • Giles, J.A., 1866, William of Malmesbury's Chronicle of the Kings of England from the earliest period to the reign of King Stephen (London: Henry G. Bohn) p. 534-5 online copy
  • Hardy, D.H., (ed), 1840, Willelmi Malmesbriensis monachi gestis regum Anglorum atque Historiae novella (London) p. 768 online copy

Other

  • 2010, The Lost Castle of Lulworth (Dorset Castles Research Group)