Bossiney Castle

Bossiney

The history of Bossiney castle would seem to be tied up with that of Tintagel, less than a mile away to the west - Tintagel standing in the neck of a headland and Bossiney commanding the road to the north well inland. Before 1066 Botcinnii was held by a Saxon called Alfwy on land that could not be separated from St Petroc's [in Bodmin] and although there was 1 hide of land capable of supporting 6 ploughs there was only one there together with a slave with 3 villagers and 3 borders as well as 30 acres of pasture. From that date to 1086, when the land was held by St Michaels [St Michael's Mount], the land had decreased in value from 20s to 15s. There were also 6 cattle and 40 sheep there. Holding the vill from Bodmin church was Count Robert of Mortain, the lord of Berkhamsted and Pevensey castles and perhaps more importantly, Trematon and Launceston in Cornwall. In 1104 the lands of Robert's son, William, reverted to the Crown and eventually came to Earl Reginald of Cornwall, an illegitimate son of King Henry I (1100-35). On Reginald's death in 1175 Bossiney reverted to the Crown. The design of the castle suggests that it was built before this time, possibly by the family who held the vill from the earls of Cornwall. In 1166 this was Roger Mandeville who held 5 fees from Earl Reginald. Presumably this earthwork castle had been built by this time.

All of this advances the argument as to who built Bossiney castle exactly nowhere. Any of the above may or may not have built the castle, but its design would suggest that it had been built by the mid twelfth century and was probably abandoned by 1200. Presumably the castle could have been built as the caput of the Mandevilles and then passed to their inheritors, the Hornicotes who sold Tintagel castle, which was in Bossiney manor, to Earl Richard of Cornwall (d.1272) before 1233. Alternatively it may have been built as a siege castle against Tintagel during the Anarchy. All that can be tentatively suggested is that it was not built by Earl Robert (d.1090) who was generally responsible for much larger castles, viz Launceston. Another possibility is the fact that the Hornicotes, who succeeded Roger Mandeville before 1190, apparently had no other castle, so perhaps they made this their caput. Again, that implies nothing of its foundation. That the castle might have been the caput of the barony is suggested by this being site of the election of MPs for the borough up to 1832.

Description
Whatever Bossiney castle is, it is not a ‘standard' castle earthwork. It consists of a powerful ringwork some 150' in diameter with a massive rampart up to 20' high and over 60' wide. It enclosed a vaguely triangular area between 45' and 50' in diameter surrounded by a ditch up to 3' deep and an entrance to the east. The fortress itself is set at the top of a sloping falling to the south-east. To the north-west is a field that might once have been a bailey. That this is now surrounded on 3 sides by lower lying roads may have removed any defences.

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