Rockingham Castle

Rockingham Castle
Part of Northamptonshire
Corby, England
The main gateway at Rockingham Castle
Type	Enclosure castle
Height	10 metres (33 ft)
Site information
Owner	Saunders Watson family
Condition	Renovated
Site history
Built	11th Century
In use	Private
Materials	Limestone Sandstone
Events	English Civil War

Rockingham Castle is a former royal castle and hunting lodge in Rockingham Forest a mile to the north from the town centre of Corby, Northamptonshire.

The site on which the castle stands has been used in the Iron Age, Roman period and by the invading Saxons also used by the Normans, Tudors and also used in the Medieval Period. This is because its position on elevated ground provides clear views of the Welland Valley from a strong defensible location.

William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a wooden Motte and Bailey at Rockingham in the 11th century shortly after the Norman Invasion of Britain. Within three decades, William II replaced it with a stone castle. A stone keep was added to the large motte and the outer bailey was enclosed by a curtain wall. The castle was then used as a Royal retreat throughout the Norman and Plantagenet periods. Nearby Rockingham Forest was especially good for hunting wild boar and deer.

In 1270 Henry III strengthened the castle with the addition of a twin D-tower gatehouse. But less than a century later Edward III became the last monarch to visit the castle while it was possessed by The Crown.