An unfinished home

Although it was never finished, Kirby Muxloe is an outstanding example of late 15th-century castle architecture and brickwork.
 
The outer face of the gatehouse is decorated with darker brick designs © English Heritage  William, lord Hastings, a trusted follower of Edward IV, began to build the castle in 1480. He planned to create a splendid residence on a rectangular plan enclosed by walls, towers and a moat. A garden was also laid out beside the castle.
 
The new buildings, however, were never completed. Construction immediately ceased when Lord Hastings was executed in 1483 for his opposition to Richard III's seizure of the throne .
 
Parts of the unfinished castle were subsequently occupied by the Hastings family but the buildings were probably abandoned and left to ruin during the 16th century. The site was eventually occupied by a farm. In 1911 the castle was taken over by the Ministry of Works, which renewed the moats and repaired the buildings.
 
The modern bridge to the gate takes the form of its medieval predecessor, timbers from which still survive in the moat.