Somerton Castle

Somerton Castle
Lincolnshire, England
Somerton Castle
Somerton Castle
Coordinates	53°07′04″N 0°34′34″W / 53.1177°N 0.5760°W / 53.1177; -0.5760Coordinates: 53°07′04″N 0°34′34″W / 53.1177°N 0.5760°W / 53.1177; -0.5760
Grid reference	SK9536158739
Site information
Owner	Private
Open to the public	No
Site history
Materials	Limestone

Somerton Castle is located approximately one mile west of the village of Boothby Graffoe in Lincolnshire, England and to the south of the city of Lincoln, England. The site is on low-lying land between the Lincoln Edge and the River Trent. Although Somerton Castle is in the parish of Boothby Graffoe, it is in the Manor of Waddington and this portion is often referred to as the Manor of Somerton Castle. Antony Bek probably built the castle in 1281 and he gave it to King Edward II in 1309. King John II of France was imprisoned at Somerton Castle between 1359 and 1360, having been taken prisoner after the Battle of Poitiers. It continued as crown property until it was sold by Charles I in 1628, since when the castle has continued in private ownership.

Antony Bek inherited Somerton from his mother, Eva de Gray, and built the castle after being granted a licence to crenellate in 1281. In 1309 Bek gave the castle as a gift to King Edward II. The castle was found to be in poor condition at the accession of King Edward II, lead had been stolen from the towers and the great hall and the chapel, which were on the west side of the castle were in poor repair. In 1334 John Crabbe, a military engineer was appointed Constable of the Castle and in autumn of that year King Edward visited the castle, presumably to authorise repair work. A total of £222 was spent during the next two years on rebuilding the outer drawbridge and remaking part of the moat- presumably this was the time when the outer bailey to the south of the castle was constructed. After Crabbe's death in 1351/2, Stephen Shawe was appointed as Constable and regular repairs took place to the domestic buildings in the inner court. Further repairs and alterations took place in 1359-60 when King John of France was held captive in the castle having been taken prisoner after the Battle of Poitiers. Sir Saier De Rochford, ancestor of the Rochford family of Stoke Rochford, "an eminent soldier in the wars of France," and High Sheriff of Lincolnshire, was allowed two shillings a day for the safekeeping of King John while at Somerton.