Liverpool Castle Totally Explained

Everything about Liverpool Castle totally explained

Liverpool Castle was a castle which was situated in Liverpool, England. It stood from the early 13th century to the early 18th century.

Construction

It was probably erected in the 1230s, between 1232 and 1235 under the orders of William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby. No record of the castle construction survive. Nearby in West Derby, there had long been a castle, which was taken by the Ferrers in 1232, by 1296 it lay in ruins. The castle was built to protect King John's new port of Liverpool and was sited at the top of modern day Lord Street, the highest point in the city and overlooking the Pool. This corresponds to present day Derby Square (Queen Victoria Monument) near the city centre.

Description

The castle was built on top a plateau, which had been specially constructed, and a moat measuring 20 yards (18 m) was cut out of solid rock. The main building of the castle consisted of the gatehouse flanked by two towers at the north-east corner which faced Castle Street; three round towers at the three remaining corners, one being added at a later date than the others, in 1442. Four curtain walls connected the four towers, the northern and southern wall were recessed to allow them to be commanded from the towers. Inside the castle were a hall and chapel, which were connected to the south-western tower, and a brewhouse and bakehouse. There was also a passage which ran under the moat toward the edge of the river. The courtyard was divided by a wall built running from the north wall to the south wall. Underneath the castle walls stood a dovecot and an orchard ran from the castle to the Pool in the east.

History

1200s

Upon the death of William de Ferrers in 1247, his son William inherited both Liverpool Castle and West Deby Castle. The heir to the title was Robert de Ferrers. He rebelled against King Henry III and was arrested and held in the Tower of London and then Windsor Castle. His lands and title were removed and taken back by the Crown. Henry III presented the land, along with Lancaster to his second son Edmund. Mary de Ferrers, wife of the forfeited earl and niece to the King was ordered to surrender the castle in July 1266. The lands was then held by Edmund and passed onto his successor Thomas.

1300s

It was under the administration of Thomas that Liverpool progressed steadily. The earl didn't bestow much worth on the borough of Liverpool and in 1315, he granted the castle and the land to Robert de Holland. The creation of the patronage of Robert de Holland caused some unrest among other landowners, and on 25 October in the same year, Adam Banastre, Henry de Lea, and William de Bradshagh (Bradshaw) banded together and launched an attack on the castle, and were defeated within an hour. This is the only recorded attack on the castle to happen before the English Civil War. Between 1315 and 1323 the borough of Liverpool returned to the hands of the Crown. In 1323 King Edward II visited the town and lodged at the castle from 24 October to 30 October. Early in the reign of Edward III the king utilised Liverpool at a port of embarkation in his wars with Scotland and Ireland. In 1327 Edward ordered the constable of the castle to give shelter to men fleeing from the Scots. There was an inquisition into the land at Lancaster in 1367 that stated 'there is at Liverpull a certain Castle, the foss whereof and the herbage are worth by the year 2s., and there's a dovehouse under the Castle which is worth by the year 6s.8d.'.

1400s - 1500s

Sir Richard Molyneux was appointed constable of the castle in 1440 and the title was made hereditary five years later. In 1442 the castle was strengthened by the addition of a fourth tower in the south-east corner to the cost of £46 13s 10¼d. On October 2 1559 the castle is stated as being 'in utter ruin and decay'. The Great Tower had a slate roof and it was suggested to be used as storage for the court rolls. It was decided that the castle would undergo repairs costing around £150,

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