From the evidence of the ruins it is possible to reconstruct the complex changes to the domestic buildings around the castle courtyard.
The earliest surviving building on the site is the great tower, which would have dominated the medieval castle. Judging by the details of its fine fireplace, the tower was probably erected around 1200. The first-floor interior may have served as a bedchamber for the lord of the castle. Elsewhere in the courtyard there would have stood a hall and other domestic buildings, but no trace of these survive today.
Sir Andrew Corbet (d.1578) extensively remodelled the rest of the castle in around 1560. He erected a two-storey range between the great tower and the gatehouse. It housed a kitchen with a massive brick chimney stack, a larder on the ground floor and accommodation on the first floor.
Sir Andrew also built a new range of buildings. The openings in the outer wall are doors leading to the remains of latrines that served this range. A section of the range was dismantled later when Sir Andrew's son, Robert, redeveloped the castle.
The nearby parish church of St. Bartholomew's was patronised by the Corbet family and houses a number of the family's funerary monuments. The chest tomb of Sir Richard Corbet (d.1566) and his wife Margaret can be seen today.
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.
