Scheduled MonumentsEnglandBarnwell Castle

Barnwell Castle

England
List entry 1003624
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1003624
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.25 hectares
Grid reference
TL0492085227
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Barnwell Castle is a Norman castle situated in Northamptonshire, founded in the twelfth century as a motte-and-bailey fortification. The site preserves substantial remains of its stone keep and surrounding defensive works, which were developed and strengthened over successive medieval centuries. The castle served as a significant stronghold for its lords and played a role in regional medieval politics before falling into decline in the later medieval period. Today the earthworks and fragmentary stone structures remain visible as testimony to Norman military architecture in the English Midlands.

Barnwell Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003624. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Barnwell Castle?

Barnwell Castle is a Norman castle situated in Northamptonshire, founded in the twelfth century as a motte-and-bailey fortification. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003624.

Who is responsible for protecting Barnwell Castle?

Barnwell Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1003624.

What other scheduled monuments are near Barnwell Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Site of manor house and gardens (0.7 km), Group of enclosures S of Ratling Irons Plantation (3.5 km), Beaulieu Hall moated site. (4.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Barnwell Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Barnwell Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
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.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Barnwell Castle report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Barnwell Castle

Barnwell Castle stands on Great Oolite Group, bedrock that formed in the Bathonian. The rock here is sandstone, limestone and argillaceous rocks.