Battlefields›Siege of Huntingdon Castle 1174
Medieval

Siege of Huntingdon Castle 1174

1174
Cambridgeshire, England
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Cambridgeshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Rebel garrison
VS
Victor
Henry II
Outcome
The castle, held by supporters of William the Lion, King of Scotland (allied with the rebel Henry the Young King during the Revolt of 1173-1174), was besieged first by Richard de Luci and then Simon de St Lis. It surrendered after Henry II arrived in person, and he then ordered the castle dismantled (7s 8d spent on demolishing the palisade).
The Battle

History & Significance

Siege of Huntingdon Castle 1174 was a medieval siege, the investment of a fortified position, fought at Cambridgeshire, England in 1174. Henry II prevailed over Rebel garrison. The castle, held by supporters of William the Lion, King of Scotland (allied with the rebel Henry the Young King during the Revolt of 1173-1174), was besieged first by Richard de Luci and then Simon de St Lis. It surrendered after Henry II arrived in person, and he then ordered the castle dismantled (7s 8d spent on demolishing the palisade).

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Siege of Huntingdon Castle 1174 lies on Kellaways Formation And Oxford Clay Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Oxfordian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Overview
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Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Siege of Huntingdon Castle 1174

Huntingdon Castle (Castle Hills): a motte and bailey castle and Civil War fieldwork
Huntingdon Castle (Castle Hills): a motte and bailey castle and Civil War fieldwork
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 mi

Huntingdon Castle, also known as Castle Hills, is a motte and bailey castle located in Huntingdonshire, England. The earthwork comprises a substantial mound with associated bailey defences, representing a typical Norman fortification of the eleventh or twelfth century. During the English Civil Wa…

Duncan Grey / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Huntingdon Bridge
Huntingdon Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~0.4 mi

Huntingdon Bridge is a medieval stone bridge crossing the River Ouse at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. The bridge dates primarily from the fourteenth century, though it has undergone substantial repairs and rebuilding over subsequent centuries. It comprises multiple stone arches and represents an…

Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
The Nuns' Bridge, Hinchingbrook
The Nuns' Bridge, Hinchingbrook
Scheduled monument · ~1 mi

The Nuns' Bridge, Hinchingbrooke is a medieval stone bridge located in Huntingdonshire. The bridge dates from the medieval period and formed part of the approach to Hinchingbrooke House, a significant religious and later aristocratic residence. Constructed in stone with characteristic medieval ma…

Michael Trolove / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Milestone at Bell End
Milestone at Bell End
Scheduled monument · ~1.6 mi

Milestone at Bell End is a roadside milestone located in Huntingdonshire, England. The monument dates from the turnpike era, reflecting the expansion of improved road infrastructure in England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Milestones of this type served the practical function of…

Keith Evans / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Buckden Palace
Buckden Palace
Scheduled monument · ~3.9 mi

Buckden Palace is a medieval and Tudor episcopal residence located in Huntingdonshire, serving as one of the principal seats of the Bishops of Lincoln from the fourteenth century onwards. The palace comprises a substantial range of buildings centred around a distinctive tower block constructed in…

Robert Edwards / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Alconbury Bridge
Alconbury Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~4 mi

Alconbury Bridge is a medieval stone bridge crossing the River Ouse in Huntingdonshire. The structure dates from the medieval period and represents an important crossing point on what became a significant route through the landscape. The bridge is constructed in stone and retains characteristic f…

Humpbacked Bridge, Alconbury (96462376).jpg: User:Magnus Manske derivative work: Hogweard / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Earthwork on Mill Common
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 miles
Civil War battery at Clayton's Way
Scheduled monument · ~0.6 miles
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In the same landscape

Battles near Siege of Huntingdon Castle 1174

Battle of St Neots (1648)
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Siege of Cambridge Castle (1643)
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