The Hall building was constructed in the late 11th to early 12th century on the site of an earlier, possibly Saxon, structure.
External stairs led to the domestic accommodation on the first floor, which comprised a hall, used for eating and public business, and the solar, a domestic chamber.
On the ground floor were two undercrofts or cellars. The solar undercroft was a self-contained residential apartment with its own entrance, well, garderobe or privy and fireplace. It would have been used by an important person, such as the bailiff of the castle. The hall's undercroft would have been used as a storage space.
Sometime in the late 12th or early 13th century a forebuilding was added to the hall to provide more rooms. In the early 13th century both the hall building and extension were gutted by fire. Repairs and improvements were subsequently made and included the construction of a new kitchen to serve the private apartments and the hall.
In the 18th century the castle was converted into kennels and stables. There are rough holes in the curtain wall to the right of the entrance that relate to this later period of the castle's history.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
