Description

SO 51 NE GOODRICH CP -
SO 52 SE

6/46
3/46 Goodrich Castle

I

Castle. C12 keep, C13 east curtain and foundations of south-west tower,
remainder dates from early C14 rebuilding. Later C14 outer ward and barbican.
Coursed and squared red sandstone rubble, grey sandstone keep. Ashlar dress-
ings. Outer ward to west and to north with traces of outer walls and towers
to south-west and to north-west and large semi-circular fronted barbican to
north-east with two-span bridge and causeway connecting with gatehouse; castle
basically rectangular in plan with curtain walls and circular towers rising
from spurred square bases to south-east, south-west and north-west corners,
gatehouse and chapel tower to north-east, inner courtyard; Norman keep to
south, former great hall to west, solar to north, chapel within gatehouse
complex and traces of further domestic buildings to east. Towers:formerly
of three stages, traces of roll moulding below lost parapet to south-east
tower, embrasures and loop windows with square-headed surrounds, curtain
walls with traces of cruciform shaped loop windows to east wall and further
embrasures. Gatehouse: three stages, vaulted gateway with two portcullis grooves
at either end, main archway with segmental pointed head and rounded jambs.
Chapel tower: to south side of gatehouse,three stages with C15 window of
3-trefoil headed lights to east of first floor of Chapel, similar window to
west with hoodmould, further single-light trefoil headed windows, loops light
slim octagonal stair tower to north-west corner of chapel tower. Keep: three
stages with pilaster buttresses and clasping buttresses, chevron embellished
string course at second floor level, loops light staircase in north-west
corner, 2-light windows with semi-circular headed surrounds and hoodmould,
engaged shafts to responds with scalloped impost, window on first floor of
east face possibly originally a doorway, segmental-pointed doorway on ground
floor: Great Hall: transomed trefoil-headed lights to outer wall, and large
fireplace with corbelled hood. The castle is moated to the south and east.
"Extensive and remarkably complete border castle and an important example of
Military Architecture" (Radford). From the C14 it belonged to the Talbot
family, it changed allegiances during the Civil War and was eventually
besieged and taken in 1646. The castle has since remained a ruin and is
in the guardianship of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission.
Scheduled Ancient Monument. (BoE; RCHM Vol I, p 74/78; DoE Guidebook).

Listing NGR: SO5768519990

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Goodrich Castle at Wikipedia
• Goodrich Castle official website
• Wikidata Q5583571

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)