Discover the fascinating story behind Astley Castle in Warwickshire.
You could liken Astley Castle
to the phoenix risen from the ashes. It has literally been brought back from a
crumbling burnt out shell to become an award-winning historic gem nestling in
the North Warwickshire countryside.
Astley Castle dates back to
the 13th century, it's been home to three Queens, played a vital role in the Civil
War and is said to be haunted by the ghost of Lady Jane Grey.
Over the centuries it's been
knocked down, burnt down and vandalised, yet despite all that it has instilled
passion in those who have fought to preserve and renovate it. And today it's
one of The Landmark Trust's most treasured and successful historic building
renovations. In 2013 it won the UK’s most prestigious architecture award, the
RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture.
Astley Castle is tucked away
in the little village of Astley near Nuneaton. It’s believed that there has
been a castle on this site since Saxon times and was visited by royalty as
early as the 11th century. In 1266 Warin de Bassinghburn was granted
licence to enclose his house – Astley Manor with a dyke and a wall and to
crenelate it. The banks of the moat were 10 – 15 feet high.
As centuries passed every age has
stamped its mark on Astley Castle At one time it was owned by Thomas, Marquess
of Dorset and his wife Margaret. Their son, Henry who later became Duke of
Suffolk was the father of Lady Jane Grey, the ‘nine days queen’ who spent some
of her childhood there. It was also home to the wives of King Henry IV and
Henry VII.
Just 500 metres from the castle
there’s a stone monument to Henry, Duke of Suffolk, marking his desperate
attempt to avoid execution for his part in the Wyatt rebellion by hiding for
three days inside the hollow trunk of an oak tree. However, he was betrayed by
his park keeper, arrested and beheaded at the Tower of London in 1554. The
chair on which he sat in the tree is said to be at Arbury Hall.
Following his execution, Queen
Mary ordered Astley Castle to be destroyed. It was dismantled as a stronghold.
The Duchess appealed to be allowed to live in the remains of the house. Later
she married Adrian Stokes who repaired the building.
During the English Civil War, the
castle was used as a stronghold by parliamentary forces, becoming one of a
network of small garrisons. Captain Hunt and Lieutenant Goodere Hunt commanded
about 35 soldiers there in July 1644. Royalist propaganda referred to Hunt as
an ‘illiterate shoemaker’.
In 1674 Astley Castle was bought
by Sir Richard Newdigate who also owned Arbury Hall in Nuneaton. It remained in
the Newdigate family until the 20th century and was then leased out. At one
time the first Bishop of the revived Coventry Diocese occupied Astley Castle
and in 1927 Queen Mary visited during the tenure of the Povey and Harper
family.
In 1953 Astley Castle had a
reprieve from imminent decay when it was taken over by a hotel chain. It
remained a popular hotel for 14 years often frequented by comedian Larry
Grayson and had a cocktail bar named Lady Jane Grey. However, the hotel
chain went into receivership, the furniture was auctioned off and the building
left empty, at the mercy of the elements and vandals. In 1978 a fire gutted the
building and Astley Castle stood derelict for many years. In 1998 it was put on
the Heritage at Risk (HAR) Register.
It was never forgotten
however, and over the following years preservation societies and individuals
fought to rebuild or save Astley Castle before 1,000 years of history were gone
forever. From the early 1990s the architectural charity The Landmark Trust had
struggled to find a workable solution to make the building habitable again.
Finally, a competition was launched
to design a holiday house that could be created within the ruins. Witherford
Watson Mann architects were the winners. Their design went on to win the RIBA
Stirling Prize for Architecture 2013. Funding for the project came through grants from
the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and various charitable trusts and
individuals. This Grade II Listed Building was removed from the Heritage at
Risk Register in 2012.
You cannot help but be reminded of
its rich history as you approach Astley Castle on foot and walk beneath the
ancient stone archway. At first glance the castle appears to be a ruin with its
inner shell exposed to the elements; its mullioned windows gaping openly
skywards through which birds fly in and out. However, look again and you’ll see
the amazing transformation which won them the RIBA Stirling Prize.
It’s been beautifully and
tastefully constructed, the ancient and the modern sitting hand in hand, a
two-storey holiday residence that sits unobtrusively within the Grade II Listed
Building’s chunky sandstone walls. Ancient and modern brickwork create a beautiful and
visible contrast between the old and new. Go inside and there’s an ambiance of
comfort and luxury, yet the history and age of the building totally enfolds
you. Speak to some of the staff and they will tell you of the ghostly lady who
often passes by and says ‘Hello’.
An elegant oak staircase takes you upstairs to a vast open kitchen area
with period furnishings. Floor to ceiling plate glass windows provide perfect
views of the Warwickshire countryside and the nearby ancient parish church of
St Mary the Virgin. This is novelist
George Eliot country and Astley Castle and the church were the inspiration for
George Eliot’s Knebley Abbey and Knebley Church in Scenes of Clerical Life.
Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) and her father were known to often visit Astley
Castle and the church where her parents married.
Look to the history of St
Mary the Virgin church and you learn that it was completely rebuilt by Sir
Thomas Astley in 1343 as a collegiate establishment. Originally, a cruciform
building with a central tower crowned with a tall spire. A conspicuous landmark
that earned it the name of Lantern of Arden because a light was kept
burning on its top to guide wayfarers through the surrounding Forest of Arden.
Go inside and you'll find alabaster effigies of some notable castle owners
belonging to the Grey family of those bygone times. Gone maybe – but not
forgotten.
Book a
stay at Astley Castle https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/astley-castle-4806
