Halton Castle
Part of Halton Castle ruins today.
Shown within Cheshire
Building information
Town	Halton, Cheshire
Country	England
Coordinates	53°20′02″N 2°41′41″W / 53.333966, -2.694606Coordinates: 53°20′02″N 2°41′41″W / 53.333966, -2.694606
Client	Nigel of Cotentin
Construction start date	11th century
Style	Motte-and-bailey castle

Halton castle is a castle in the former village of Halton which is now part of the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. Halton is a village in Cheshire, England (postcode region WA7 Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. Halton is a village in Cheshire, England (postcode region WA7 Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The castle is situated on the top of Halton Hill, a sandstone prominence overlooking the village (grid reference SJ537821). Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude It is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled ancient monument. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance In the United Kingdom, a Scheduled Monument is a 'nationally important' Archaeological site or historic building given protection against unauthorised change ^[1][2] It was the seat of the Barons of Halton from the 11th century until the 14th century and it then passed to the Duchy of Lancaster. The Barony of Halton, in England, comprised a succession of 15 Barons After the Norman conquest, William the Conqueror divided his kingdom into The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two Royal Duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall, and is the personal (inherited property of the ^[3] It was besieged twice in the Civil War after which its structure deteriorated. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. In the 18th century a new courthouse was built on the site of the previous gatehouse. The castle lies in ruins apart from the courthouse which has been converted into a public house.

History

Building and administration

Although there is no surviving evidence, it is likely that Halton Hill was a settlement in prehistoric times. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" ^[4] Following the Norman conquest, the Barony of Halton was established by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester. Hugh d'Avranches 1st Earl of Chester (died July 27, 1101) was one of the great magnates of early Norman England. The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in Medieval England. The first baron to be appointed was Nigel of Cotentin and it is almost certain that he would have built a motte and bailey castle on the site, constructing it from wood,^[5] although the excavations in 1986–87 showed no evidence of a motte and bailey structure or of a timber tower or palisade. Baron is a specific Title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin (liber The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a Peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France nA motte-and-bailey is a form of Castle. Many were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries favored as a relatively palisade is a steel or wooden Fence or wall of variable height usually used as a defensive structure ^[6] It is most probable that during the 12th century the wooden structure was replaced by a castle built from the local sandstone although no documentary evidence of this remains. Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. ^[6][7] Details of the building works are obscure but it has been suggested that John of Gaunt, the 14th baron, made alterations to the castle^[8] but this again has not been confirmed by documentary evidence. John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster (second creation 1st Duke of Aquitaine (6 March 1340 &ndash 3 February 1399 was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third ^[9] When the 15th baron, Henry Bolingbroke, ascended the throne as King Henry IV, the castle became the property of the Duchy of Lancaster. Henry IV (3 April 1367 &ndash 20 March 1413 was King of England and Lord of Ireland (1399&ndash1413 ^[3]

The earliest documentary evidence of building work at Halton Castle shows that during the 15th century and into the 16th century it was regularly maintained. Between 1450 and 1457 a new gate tower was built. ^[9] There is no evidence that the castle featured in the Wars of the Roses; this would have been unlikely because of its relatively obscure position. The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485 were a series of dynastic Civil wars fought in England between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York ^[10] However a survey of the Royal Palaces in 1609 suggests that by then the castle had fallen into disrepair. ^[9] During the Tudor period it was used less as a fortress and more as a prison,^[11] an administrative centre, and a court of law. Social and economic revolution Following the Black Death Plagues and the agricultural depression of the late 14th century population growth A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its ^[12] In 1580–81 the castle was designated as a prison for Catholic recusants, but there is no evidence that it was never used for that purpose. In the History of England, recusancy was a term used to describe the statutory offence of not complying with and conforming to the Established church or ^[13]

Royal visits

There is little evidence of any visits by eminent people to the castle, although there is a belief that in 1207 King John visited and donated £5 towards the upkeep of its chapel. John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death ^[14] Edward II certainly visited the castle and was there for three days in November 1323, during which time he also visited Norton Priory. For the play see Edward II (play. For the film see Edward II (film. Norton Priory was a Priory established as an Augustinian foundation near Runcorn, Cheshire, England in the 12th century ^[14]

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War the castle was garrisoned by the Royalists under the command of Captain Walter Primrose who had been appointed by Earl Rivers. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1651 Earl Rivers was an English title held in succession by the families of Woodville or Wydeville Darcy and Savage. It was besieged by Parliamentary forces under Sir William Brereton in 1643 and the Royalists eventually surrendered after several weeks. " Roundheads " was the Nickname given to the Puritan supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. Sir William Brereton 1st Baronet ( September 13 1604 – April 7 1661) was an English soldier politician and writer Surrender is when Soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become Prisoners of war, either as On hearing of the approach of superior Royalist forces led by Prince Rupert, the Parliamentarians abandoned the castle and it was held again for the Royalists under Colonel Fenwick. Rupert Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria (German Ruprecht Pfalzgraf bei Rhein Herzog von Bayern) commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, (17 There was a second siege in 1644 but, as the fortunes of the Royalists declined elsewhere, they withdrew from Halton and the Parliamentarians under Sir William Brereton re-occupied the castle. ^[11] In 1646 a "Council of War" was held in Warrington where it was decided that the defences of the castles at Halton and Beeston were to be dismantled. Warrington is a large town borough and Unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. Beeston Castle is a Castle in Beeston, Cheshire, England ( perched on a rocky Sandstone crag above the Cheshire Plain In time this was achieved and Halton castle was to have no further military function. ^[15] By 1650 the castle was said to be "very ruinous". ^[9]

Halton Castle in 1727. Engraving by the Buck brothers

More recent history

The condition of the building continued to deteriorate although the gatehouse remained in use as a court. ^[9] In 1728 George Cholmondeley, 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley leased the site from the Crown. George Cholmondeley 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley, PC, FRS (1666 – 7 May 1733) known as Lord Newborough from 1715 to 1725 was an ^[16] In 1737 a courthouse was built on the site of the medieval gatehouse. Henry Sephton, a Liverpool architect and builder and John Orme, a joiner from Prescot, were appointed to carry out the work. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Prescot is a town and Civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley on Merseyside, England. ^[17] The first floor was the courtroom and prisoners were held in the basement. ^[18] By 1792 the courthouse had fallen into disrepair and money was found to repair it, although the source of that money is unclear. ^[19] The court continued to function there until 1908. ^[20]

Around 1800 three folly walls had been added to the existing ruined walls on the east side of the castle to make it look more impressive from Norton Priory, the home of Sir Richard Brooke. In Architecture, a folly is a Building constructed strictly as a decoration having none of the usual purposes of housing or sheltering associated with a conventional Norton Priory was a Priory established as an Augustinian foundation near Runcorn, Cheshire, England in the 12th century One of these walls was demolished around 1906. During the Victorian era a sunken garden and two bowling greens were constructed within the castle enclosure. In English garden history, a bowling green is a finely-laid close-mown and rolled stretch of flat Lawn for playing the game of Bowls, a fashion in ^[21] In 1977 the castle was leased to Halton Borough Council. Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a Unitary authority. ^[22] In 1986–87 the site of the castle was excavated. ^[23]

Present state

Castle Hotel

The courthouse is now a public house, the Castle Hotel. The first floor is used as a function room and the basement contains the cellars of the public house. The walls of the castle are in a ruinous state but the circumference is intact and it is possible to walk completely around the exterior. From its prominent position there are extensive views in all directions, including Lancashire, Cheshire, the Pennines, the hills of the Peak District and the mountains of North Wales. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea The Pennines are a low-rising Mountain range in Northern England and southern Scotland. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England.

The castle continues to be owned by the Duchy of Lancaster and the site is managed by the Norton Priory Museum Trust. The interior of the castle is occasionally opened to the public and there are plans to make it more accessible in the future. ^[24] The castle is a Grade I listed building and the Castle Hotel is listed Grade II*. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance ^[25]

Notes

References

See also

• Listed buildings in Runcorn, Cheshire