From the time of Henry III, Ludgershall Castle was used as a country residence and was surrounded by extensive parkland for hunting.
The Parks
There were two separate parks at Ludgershall.
The northern park was probably laid out in about 1100 and was designed to be seen from a viewing platform. It stretched away giving the impression of an enormous park extending beyond the horizon.
The park was actually too small for hunting, but could have staged hare and rabbit coursing, or tournaments.
The south park was a separate hunting area on the other side of Ludgershall town, and was probably kept well stocked with deer.
The King's Manor
From about 1317, Ludgershall was referred to as 'the king’s manor', and was given to successive queens and royal dependents, including Queen Philippa (died 1369), wife of Edward III, and her daughter Isabel, Countess of Bedford (died 1379).
It is unknown when the castle stopped being used by the royal family, but by the 1540s the buildings had been dismantled and levelled over to form the garden of a nearby house; the tower was kept as a garden feature.
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.
