Scheduled MonumentsEnglandNorthampton Castle, remains of

Northampton Castle, remains of

England
List entry 1003176
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1003176
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.09 hectares
Grid reference
SP 74880 60443
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Northampton Castle is a Norman castle founded in the late eleventh century, likely established shortly after the Norman Conquest as part of the systematic fortification of England. The castle originally comprised a substantial motte-and-bailey earthwork with stone buildings, serving as a royal stronghold and administrative centre for the county. The site was extensively developed during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, with documentary evidence indicating the presence of a keep, curtain walls, and domestic structures. Today only fragmentary earthworks and masonry remains survive, principally the motte and portions of the castle mound, situated within the modern town centre and substantially obscured by subsequent urban development.

Northampton Castle, remains of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003176. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Northampton Castle, remains of?

Northampton Castle is a Norman castle founded in the late eleventh century, likely established shortly after the Norman Conquest as part of the systematic fortification of England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003176.

Who is responsible for protecting Northampton Castle, remains of?

Northampton Castle, remains of 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 1003176.

What other scheduled monuments are near Northampton Castle, remains of?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Saxon palace complex and Saxon and medieval urban deposits in the centre of Northampton (0.2 km), Eleanor Cross 1km south west of Delapre Abbey (2.3 km), Multivallate hillfort at Hunsbury Hill (2.3 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Northampton Castle, remains of

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Northampton Castle, remains of'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.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Northampton Castle, remains of

Northampton Castle, remains of stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.