Warblington Castle

Details

Located near Langstone in Hampshire, the site was originally home to a medieval manor. It has been claimed that the manor received a licence to crenellate in 1340 but this is disputed. The manor passed through several hands before coming into the possession of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick in the 15th century. With the execution of Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick by Henry VII the manor was confiscated and passed to the crown. In 1513 Henry VIII gave the manor to Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury who had a new moated manor built on the site. After Margaret Pole was attainted for treason temporary grants of the manor were made to William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton and Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton. Henry VIII then granted the manor to Sir Richard Cotton. In October 1551, Mary of Guise the widow of James V of Scotland stayed a night in the castle as the guest of Sir Richard Cotton. Edward VI visited the manor in 1552. Elizabeth I may have visited for two days in 1586. The Cotton family continued to hold the house until the English civil war.

In January 1643 Parliamentarians under Colonel Norton garrisoned the house with a force of between 40 and 80 men. It was besieged and taken by Lord Hopton although Colonel Norton managed to escape.

The Cotton family were Royalists which resulted in the manor being largely demolished by Parliamentarian forces. One turret of the gatehouse was left as an aid to navigation for ships in Langstone channel. The turret is octagonal in form and four stories in height. It is largely built from brick with stone dressing and battlements.

Today, the turret, the arch of the gate and the drawbridge support in the moat still survive. The land the remains stand on is private property. The site is a grade II* listed building and a scheduled monument.