Sauvey Castle

Sauvey Castle
Withcote, Leicestershire
Surviving earthworks
Sauvey Castle
Coordinates	52°38′20″N 0°50′13″W / 52.638977°N 0.837072°W / 52.638977; -0.837072
Site information
Open to the public	No

Sauvey Castle is an medieval castle, near Withcote, Leicestershire, England. It was probably built by King John in 1211 as a secluded hunting lodge in Leighfield Forest. It comprised a ringwork or shell keep, with an adjacent bailey; earthwork dams were constructed to flood the area around the castle, creating a large, shallow moat. The castle was occupied by the Count of Aumale in the early reign of Henry III, but it then remained in the control of the Crown and was used by royal foresters until it fell into disuse in the 14th century. By the end of the 17th century, its walls and buildings had been dismantled or destroyed, leaving only the earthworks, which remain in a good condition in the 21st century.

Historians are divided as to when Sauvey Castle was constructed; most suggest that it was built by King John in 1211 when he acquired the surrounding lands, although some sources argue it was built during the reign of King Stephen, between 1135 and 1153. The castle was located in a secluded part of Leighfield Forest, part of the wider Forest of Rockingham, and, if built by John, was intended for use as a hunting lodge. Its name in Norman French was Salveé, meaning "dark island".

The castle lies on raised ground along a valley, with two tributaries of the River Chater running past it to the north and south. It comprises an oval enclosure 60 by 40 metres (200 by 130 ft) across, variously described as a shell keep or a ringwork, separated by a deep ditch from a rectangular bailey to the west, 100 by 70 metres (330 by 230 ft) in size. The bailey had a guardhouse at its north-east corner, overlooking the entrance. Buildings were constructed around the south side of the enclosure, with a chapel in the middle. The castle was built largely from stone, with a curtain wall around the enclosure.