Wressle Castle Revised

AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture

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Introduction

Historically, castles have been used, not solely as

defense centers but also as residences. In fact, it is

the latter characteristic that allowed Wressle Castle

to persist into modern times instead of being

demolished alike its contemporaries.

Wressle Castle is located in the County of York in

Northern England in the division of Holme Beacon. It

is within the governmental district of East Riding, the

largest district in England. The parish of Wressle was

originally ten miles in circumference and

encompassed 4,000-4,400 acresi. It is located two

hundred yards from the river Derwentii.

Legacy

Wressle Castle is the only castle amongst its

contemporaries in Yorkshire still standing in the East

Riding today. Wressle, though it played a historical

role as a military fortress, was primarily a residence

for the wealthy Percy family. Of all the Yorkshire

“palace-fortresses,” it was located the most

southerly. Although partially destroyed, its remains

provide a good example of the style and grandeur of

the castles of its time, such as Bolton Castle, which

were destroyed during the English Civil War.

A Word About the Architect

John Lewyn (fl. 1364–c.1398) was a leading mason

whose works are primarily in the north of England. He

was contemporary to Henry Yvele, one of the most

respected masons of his time, and Lewyn was as

important, although he was never contracted for

major court works and primarily worked in northern

England unlike his contemporary. The royal family,

the palatinate, major magnates and nobility

contracted him. He took on both major works and

more humble works that he could complete within a

year; in fact, it is his adaptability to the landscape, to

the needs of his patrons, and to the features left by

past architects that stands out through his thirty-five

year careeriii.

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His first major work as a principal mason was

constructing the keep at Durham Priory in the early

1360s. He was contracted at Durham Cathedral,

Bamburgh Castle (1368–72), Carlisle Castle (1378-

83), the towers and south range at Bolton Castle

(1378-96), and Wressle

amongst many others. He

played a prominent role in

English architectural design,

infusing military and domestic

roles into a single work. His works, especially at

Bolton, influenced the designs he patrons

commissioned him to build.iv

Patrons: The Percy Family

The Percy family was one of the four most well-

respected families of Yorkshire in the fourteenth

century: Percy, Neville, Lancaster, and York.v They

originally settled in Yorkshire shortly after the Norman

Conquest (1066 CE.) Through generations, the family

gained wealth, respect, and land through military

service and marriage, so much that they developed

estates in all three Ridings.vi

They were responsible for constructing Wressle

Castle and they were also patrons of Alnwick Castle

(built 1310-1360), Cockermouth Castle

(reconstruction 1383-1390), and Warkworth keep

(1390s). These works were

constructed, in part, due to rivalry

with other wealthy families, most

notably

i Savage, J., History of the Castle and Parish of Wressle, London (1805), p.1ii Emery, A., Greater medieval houses of England and Wales 1300-1500” Vol. 1, Cambridge (1996), p. 414iii Emery, pp.30-32iv Emery, pp. 30-32v Emery, p. 270vi Emery, P. 37

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AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture the Neville family who began the trend of lavish

castle development in the early fourteenth century. In

response, the Percys not only undertook their own

extensive building campaign, but sought to balance

residential interests with military function which can

be observed in their worksvii. Today, Wressle Castle is

the only Percy building left in East Riding.

Past Owners

Wressle Castle was built for Sir Thomas of Percy,

Earl of Worcester, military commander, councilor, and

diplomat, around 1380viii, ix. However, there are other

accounts such as the Nomina Vallarum that attribute

the castle as first belonging to William de Percy in

1315; according to this account, Thomas Percy later

purchased Wressle, though it is unclear if he inherited

it from the Percy lineagex.

On July 23, 1403, shortly after acquiring the

building, Thomas Percy and his nephew Hotspur were

beheaded for rebelling against King Henry IV.

Ownership transferred to the royal family until 1457.

Wressle found itself in the hands of yet another

Thomas Percy, a knight, the second Earl of

Northumberland, and Baron Egremont. The property

remained with the Percy/Seymour family until 1750

(Lady Elizabeth Percy who married Charles Seymour

in 1670 inherited the property.)xi. Percy ownership

continued into the 19th century although the name

changed again to Egremontxii.

vii Emery, p. 17viii Pevsner N., Buildings of England: York and the East Riding, London (1972), p. 374ix Emery, p. 414x Savage, pp. 5-6xi Savage, pp. 6-10; However, according to Emery p. 414, Wressle was transferred back to the Percy family in 1471, after the Battle of Barnet which took place in April of the same year.xii Emery, p. 414


English Civil War

Wressle Castle proudly stood until the English

Civil War broke out in 1641. Under the possession of

the Earl of Northumbria, the Earl lent the property to

the parliamentarians as a garrison. The occupation

led to 1,000l in destruction to the building and

surrounding property. In addition, more significant

damage occurred in 1649.xiii

In June 1648, a neighboring castle, Pomfret castle,

was seized by Royalists and underwent a siege that

lasted for nearly a year. To prevent royalists from

attempting to acquire further bases, a committee at

York decided to destroy all castles in the area,

including Wressle. Workmen dismantled the castle so

fast that the mission was completed prior to the Earl

of Northumbria receiving notice of the decisionxiv.

Demolition ceased in late 1648, but it was restarted

two years later, despite the owner’s wishes. However,

the earl managed to preserve some residential areas

of the building, especially on the south side of the

square, and the chapelxv.

Further damage to the building occurred in 1796

due to fire.xvi

Influences

The plan at Wressle Castle is similar to that

of Bolton Castle in the North Riding, built around 1379

by the same architect John Lewyn. Bolton Castle, built

for Sir Richard Scrope, was a major break in Lewyn’s

prior aesthetics; it had a more residential quality

rather than imposing quality, like Durham and

Carlisle. In fact, Bolton influenced the design of the

future Lewyn buildings, such as Sheriff Hutton

xiii Grose, F., The antiquities of England and Wales, London (1773), pp.166-167xiv Grose, p.167xv Grose, p. 169xvi Emery, p. 419

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AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture (patron: Neville), Lumley (patron: Lumley), and

Wressle (patron: Percy).xvii

Wressle takes some elements from Bolton, such

as its imposing gate.xviii Despite its similarities Wressle

Castle appears less militarily functional than Bolton

and more fitting as a comfortable residence, although

it certainly could act as a garrison. The towers are

shorter and less massive than that at Boltonxix and the

high-quality material gives the building an aesthetic

appeal. Overall, the building is of a more domestic

quality than Boltonxx.

Indeed, the design of Wressle is more similar to

that of Lumley Castle. Amongst the similarities are:

an intimidating central entrance, an extended range

of private rooms, stairs within courtyard angles, and

four-centered arches, a novelty at its time.xxi

However, the unusual window tracery, considered

inferior by some, seems cannot be found in either

buildingxxii

Sources

No primary documents survive that record

Wressle’s construction. The Nomina Villarum, written

in 1315 by sheriffs throughout the counties of

England, states that the lordship at Wressle belonged

to William de Percyxxiii. Information regarding the

castle’s plan, functionality, and upkeep are

established by sixteenth century writers John Leland,

in his Itinerary, and fifth earl of Northumberland, in

his Household and Account Book. Further accounts

and drawings continued into the late eighteenth-

xvii Emery, pp. 31-32xviii Emery, pp. 310-311xix Pevsner, pp. 31, 374xx Emery, p. 283xxii Emery, p. 418xxiii Savage, p. 5

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AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture centuryxxiv.

Material

The quality of the material at Wressle far

exceeds that of the other castles currently in East

Riding. These other castles and were constructed at

an earlier time and are made up of earthen walls.xxv

By comparison, the stone at Wressle is dressed

and squared ashlar, argued to be the best in

Yorkshire.xxvi According to the Leland’s Itinerary, the

castle was made of fair and substantial stone, on the

interior and the exterior of the castle; he claims that

this stone was imported from Francexxvii, xxviii. Leland

also claims that the outer court of the castle was

primarily made of timber.xxix,xxx

Original Plan

Wressle originally had a quadrangle configuration:

four ranges bordered an oblong courtyard with four

oblong/square towers residing at the cornersxxxi. A

single story bakehouse, not a part of the original

construction, was built against the western range at a

later date by the fifth earl of Northumbriaxxxii.

The southern range, bordered by the Lord’s Tower

to the west and the chapel the east, contains Percy’s

xxi Emery, p. 418xxiv Emery, p. 414xxvPevsner, p. 374xxvi Pevsner, p. 374xxvii Grose, p. 165xxviii Leland, J., The itinerary: of John Leland the Antiquary, in nine volumes. Ed. 3, Oxford (1770), p. 55 xxix Emery, p. 414 xxx Leland, p. 54xxxi Pevsner, p. 374xxxii Emery, p. 415

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AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture private chambers and private halls. In the western

range lies the great hall bordered by the kitchen to

the north. The northern range housed the staff

quarters and was overseen by the constable tower.xxxiii

Surrounding the castle on three sides was a moat.

However, this moat did not extend to the entrance on

the northern range. xxxiv The river Derwent seemed to

double as an irrigation system for the castles

surrounding gardens and meadows, according to

Leland. He describes the gardens as “exceedingly

fair,” and they were present in the castle, outside the

castle and within the moat itself. During storms and

heavy rains, the already strong river would overflow

and the water would spill into the lands covering the

castle landsxxxv.

xxxiii Emery, p. 415xxxiv Leland, p. 54xxxv Leland, p. 55

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Tower Architecture

Each tower had a primary function: the Lord’s

Tower marked the southwest corner; the Kitchen

Tower marked the northwest corner; the Constable

tower marked the northeast tower, and the Chapel

tower marked the southwest tower.

These towers were three stories high.xxxvi The area

each tower enclosed is approximated eight hundred

square feetxxxvii. There is a fifth tower, the gatehouse,

five stories high, of similar build to the other towers

and similar to the gatehouse at Boltonxxxviii, xxxix. Each

tower was topped with pitched roofs made from lead

and miniature towers—turrets—located on the side

closest to the range.

The Lord’s Tower housed Percy’s bed chamber and

private accommodations. An antechamber in the

southern range buffered entrance into the roomxl.

Similarly, another antechamber on the eastern end

of the southern ranged buffered entry into the Chapel

Tower. The Chapel Tower was four stories and housed

the chapel on the ground floor. Still standing, it

houses remnants of the altar and the washbasin, or

piscina used for communions. Within the chapel are

four windows, a pair on each outer wall, topped

with a cinquefoil head.

Range Architecture

The ranges were three stories high, but differed

in terms of their construction.xli The western range,

xxxvi Parker, J.H., 1806-1884 Some account of domestic architecture in England" Vol.3. Pt.2, Oxford (1859), p. 212; However, according to Pevsner p. 374, the remaining towers are different heights: the West tower was three stories and the East tower was four.xxxvii Parker, p. 212xxxviii Leland, p. 55xxxix Emery, p. 414xl Emery, p. 417

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AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture which held the great hall, was set upon an undercroft.

The interior was well ventilated by a series of slits in

the ceiling, called a louvre, but also contained a

fireplace raised on a platform, or dias.xlii

The planning of the south range was unusual.

Two stories high it consisted of a ground floor and

first floor. On the ground floor there are not only staff

offices but also two inner private chambers, including

the antechamber that leads to the western range. A

passage in the interior courtyard connected the great

hall with an antechamber in the southern range,

where lay Percy’s private chambers.

This spacious antechamber that leads from the

western range was tall and measured approximately

40 ft by 27 ft, length by width. It was

furnished with a broad fireplace and

garderobe, a chamber for sorting clothes,

elements that are seen in other chambers in

the southern range. Garderobes are also

present on the outward-facing corners of the

towers.xliii Windows constructed in the Perpendicular

style (trefoil geometry, heavy transoms), allowed light

to enter the room. Three windows are constructed in

the two-light style (see picture for example). Another,

larger window with more lights, projects from the wall

as an oriel and is supported at its base by an angel

carrying a shieldxliv. Another antechamber and hall

existed on the eastern end of the southern range

leading into the Chapel Tower.

The hall was small but incorporated four windows,

two each overlooking the interior courtyard and

exterior perimeter. For added lighting and warmth,

the hall also had a fireplace along the outer wall. For

security, it was probably impossible to directly enter

the hall from the outside. It probably originally had a

screened entry opposite the window, and this doubled

to support the wall of the castle.xlv

xlii Emery, p. 415

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Lastly, there was another private chamber within

the southern range, separated from the rest of the

range by ashlar and beams. It was the same height as

the rest of the range but more contained more lavish

architecture than the rest of the hall or indeed the

Lord’s Tower. For example, the windows are more

elaborate: the lights are delineated by two transoms,

adorned with quatrefoil border and topped with ogee

heads. Spandrels, also common to Perpendicular

architecture, flank the lights.xlvi Interestingly, there

was a separate kitchen beneath this room although

there was a separate main kitchen in the northwest

corner.

Hidden Treasures

Of the four apartments, three of them are adorned

with poetry inscribed in the walls known as “the

proverbs in the lodgings in Wressle.” One poem, 24

stanzas, each seven lines long, is written on the sides

of an inner chamber; poetical

inscriptions are also written on the

exterior of chambers in the gardenxlvii.

Household

According to Savage, the household

establishment was constructed for

220 people living on a daily basis.

Annually, its household expenses tolled to

approximately 120 pounds. This is equivalent to

spending 9,000 pounds annually by the mid

eighteenth century. xlviii

The household did not solely provide for material

well-being but was the first of its kind to provide for

xli Emery, p. 415-416xliii Emery, p. 417xliv Emery, pp. 415-416xlv Emery, p. 416xlvi Emery, p. 416

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AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture spiritual health. According to Pevsner, there were no

new churches constructed prior to 1760, and the

church built at Wressle Castle in 1799 was not

particularly notable. Rather, although it was one of

the few constructed in the eighteenth century it was

small and utilitarianxlix. However, according to Savage,

there were at least eleven priests working in the

household attending to the ecclesiastical needs of

family. Moreover, choristers were also employed for

the chapel services. The head of the priests was

educated in theology with a Bachelor of divinityl. The

Chapel Tower still exists today.

What Remains

Of the original building, only one third survivesli. Of

this, only the south side of the building remains: two

towers (the Lord’s Tower and the Chapel Tower)

bordering the hall range including the chambers and

private halllii, liii. At the ends of the central building

there are three stories. Although the Kitchen tower,

witnessed by Leland, no longer exists, a kitchen

exists at the lowest floor of the hallliv.

The bakehouse, built later by the fifth earl of

Northumbria, was built alongside the western range,

but now only this structure remains as an

independent building along with the southern part of

quadrangle.

The windows in the ruins seem to have varietylv.

xlvii Grose, p. 166xlviii Savage, p. 12xlix Pevsner, p. 37l Savage, p. 12li Emery, p. 415lii Pevsner, p. 374liii Emery, p. 414liv Parker, p. 212

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AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture The building, built during the late medieval period,

seems to have early Perpendicular features such as

geometrical orientation (trefoils- headed niches,

windows with transoms and little or no tracery, etc.)

However, the remaining parts of the building have

clearly undergone reconstruction during history, such

as the gothicized windows in the West tower, which

bear little resemblance to its round-arched bell

openings of the same tower; it would be more

plausible that the window would echo the shape of

the tower rather than take on a different aestheticlvi.

Although Leland’s testimony provides evidence

that the base court was originally made from timber,

there is no evidence of timber left in the building. In

fact, some of the early Perpendicular character of the

building has a “clumsy” quality given the heavy

materials and masonry the building haslvii.

Bibliography

Grose, F., The antiquities of England and Wales, London (1773)

Emery, A., Greater medieval houses of England and Wales 1300-1500” Vol. 1, Cambridge (1996)

Leland, J., The itinerary: of John Leland the Antiquary, in nine volumes. Ed. 3, Oxford (1770)

Parker, J.H., 1806-1884 Some account of domestic architecture in England Vol.3. Pt.2, Oxford (1859)

Pevsner N., Buildings of England: York and the East Riding, London (1972)

lv Parker, p. 212-213lvi Pevsner, pp. 31, 374lvii Parker, p. 213

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AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry AHVS 20032: English Art In the Age of Chivalry DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009 DUE DATE Monday, March 16, 2009ID#: 7460025 ID#: 7460025 Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Topic: Wressle Castle: Its History and its Architecture Savage, J., History of the Castle and Parish of Wressle, London (1805)

End Notes

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Wressle Castle Revised

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