Wattlesborough Castle

Wattlesborough

The castle was held by Roger Corbet at Domesday (1086). It then passed to a junior branch of the Corbet family of Caus. By 1235 they were lords of both Wattlesborough and Moreton Corbet castles, the latter being inherited with Richard Corbet's marriage to the heiress Joan, the daughter of Bartholomew Toret (d.c.1235). Wattlesborough would seem to have been in the hands of Richard's father, another Richard Corbet, by the mid twelfth century. His provenance is unknown, but it would seem reasonable to suggest that he was a son of Simon Corber of Caus (d.1154). In 1242 Richard Corbet (d.1248) was recorded has holding Wetlesborc of Thomas Corbet of Caus (d.1274). Moreton Corbet and Wattlesborough castles then passed down in that family until 1369 when Moreton Corbet passed to a younger son. Wattlesborough remained in the hands of the senior family under Fulk Corbet (d.1382). The castle then passed via heiresses to the de la Pose and then the Burgh and finally Leighton families. In 1712 the castle was abandoned for the new Leighton family seat of Loton park, the old fortress being left to become part of a farm. The rest of the castle was subsequently demolished, leaving just the old keep standing and still inhabited into the Victorian era when it was deroofed.

Description
The tower keep bears much resemblance to Moreton Corbet keep, being 30' square and built of well laid, dressed red sandstone. The Romanesque features in this keep point to a much early date than the thirteenth century which seems currently favoured concerning the site. The rectangular tower has a sloping plinth rising into 4 pilaster buttresses at the corners. These, like those at Moreton Corbet, have their corners nicked, a relatively uncommon occurence. The keep was originally of 2 storeys with a hall above and a basement below. Covering the east half of the north wall was a later block. The first floor had a Romanesque entrance protected by a drawbar, as well as a projecting garderobe to the west (probably similar to that found at Longtown castle etc) and a spiral stair in the north-east buttress. This rose to the summit and was later modified when the upper section of the hall was modified to house a new upper floor. There is a chamfered external string course and a slight instep at this level. Internally the embrasures have fine Romanesque ashlar arches, while the roof line is readily apparent, just like at Peak castle. In the nineteenth century there was a twin Romanesque window just above the roof line of the attached 2 storey block. Two of these still exist set one above the other. The whole has been much altered for later living accommodation. There are traces of a surrounding moat, but no other masonry seems to have survived.

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