Clan Rising
Baynard's Castle today

England · Demolished

Baynard's Castle

Baynard's Castle was a riverside London seat whose buildings occupied two neighbouring sites beside the Thames and the mouth of the River Fleet. The medieval mansion rebuilt and extended in the 15th and early 16th centuries served as a Yorkist and royal residence before being gutted in the Great Fire of London in 1666; the site is now occupied by modern offices.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1086

Its prime

1509

Today

Demolished

As it stood in 1509

What Baynard's Castle looked like in its prime.

A long riverside stone façade built directly on reclaimed river-bank, punctuated by five projecting rectangular bays along the front and flanked by two larger polygonal corner towers; the bays rise to steep pitched roofs with repeated triangular gables. The river-front stands on or above the waterfront with small landing steps and neighbouring timber houses on piles beside it. Round and polygonal masonry towers appear at intervals; narrow paired windows appear on the vertical faces.

Its story

The story of Baynard's Castle.

Ralph Baynard's Fort at the Mouth of the Fleet

The junction of the Fleet and the Thames was strategic enough that the ground was probably fortified from early times. Richard of Cirencester suggests that King Canute kept Christmas at such a fort in 1017 and had Eadric Streona executed there.

After the Conquest the fort was apparently rebuilt by Ralph Baynard, a follower of William the Conqueror and Sheriff of Essex, with a second Norman fort, Montfichet's Tower, 70 metres to the north. Its north wall was founded on the 3rd-century Roman riverside wall, marked by a tile-course of Roman brick. The castle passed to Baynard's son Geoffrey and his grandson William, who forfeited his lands early in the reign of Henry I for backing the king's brother Robert Curthose; by 1106 it had gone to Eustace, Count of Boulogne, and later in the reign to the king's steward Robert Fitz Richard with the barony of Little Dunmow.

Robert Fitzwalter and King John, 1212–1213

Fitz Richard's lands were eventually inherited by his grandson Robert Fitzwalter, who led the barons' revolt against King John that culminated in Magna Carta in 1215. The Chronicle of Dunmow relates that John desired Fitzwalter's daughter Matilda the Fair, the Maid Marian of the Robin Hood legend, and that her father took up arms to defend her honour; the tale may well be propaganda dressing a rebellion over tax or another dispute. In 1212 Fitzwalter plotted with the Welsh prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth and Eustace de Vesci of Alnwick. John learned of it, exiled both men, and on 14 January 1213 destroyed Castle Baynard.

Fitzwalter was forgiven under the terms of John's submission to Pope Innocent III in May 1213, his estates were restored that July, and Stow records a licence to repair his castles; how far the work went is unclear. In 1275 his grandson Robert FitzWalter was licensed to sell the site to Robert Kilwardby, Archbishop of Canterbury, for the precinct of the Dominican priory at Blackfriars, built in 1276.

The Chief Banneret's Claim, 1303–1347

When he sold the site Fitzwalter kept the lordship's franchises and privileges, and his family pressed them without success in 1303, 1327 and 1347. The suits turned on a claim to be Chief Banneret of London, tenure of Castle Baynard having apparently entitled the family to carry the banner of the City and so lead its forces. In peacetime the soke held a court that sentenced criminals convicted before the Lord Mayor at the Guildhall, kept a prison and stocks, and drowned traitors tied to a post at Wood Wharf as the tide rose.

The House of York's London Powerbase, 1428–1483

The second Baynard's Castle stood on land reclaimed from the river, 100 metres south-east of the Norman site, and seems to have taken its name from a waterfront that had kept it after the first castle was destroyed. Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, rebuilt the house after a great fire in 1428, four wings in a trapezoid around a courtyard, its north wall again founded on the Roman riverside wall.

Gloucester died within days of his arrest for treason in 1447 and the house fell to the crown. Before 1457 it was occupied by Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, the former Lord Protector, who held 400 gentlemen and men-at-arms there while pressing his claim to the throne; he was killed at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460. With Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou campaigning in northern England, the accession of Edward IV was agreed and proclaimed at the castle on 3 March 1461, weeks before his coronation. He lodged his family there before the Battle of Barnet. In 1483, after Edward V and his brother were declared illegitimate and shut in the Tower, the crown was offered here to their uncle as Richard III.

Tudor Palace, the Herberts, and the Fire of 1666

In 1501 Henry VII, by Stow's account, "repayred or rather new builded this house, not imbattoled … but farre more beautiful and commodious", adding five projecting towers to the river front. Henry VIII gave it to Katherine of Aragon on 10 June 1509, the day before their wedding, and she took up residence. By 1551 it had passed to William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who extended it westward with three brick wings; here the Privy Council met to end Lady Jane Grey's claim to the throne and proclaim Mary queen.

Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke, sided with Parliament and died in 1650. By the Restoration the house held Francis Talbot, 11th Earl of Shrewsbury, who had fought for the Royalists in their defeat at Worcester in 1651. The Great Fire of 1666 left it in ruins: Hollar drew considerable remains, including the stone river facade, but by 1720 only a round tower stood, and that came down in the 19th century for the Carron Company's warehouses.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1509.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Baynard's Castle, including 1 interior: great hall (interior). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the ThamesRiver-front with projecting baysPolygonal corner tower (riverside)River stairs and landingGreat hall (interior)Inner courtyard and surrounding wings

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Whose castle

Clans who held Baynard's Castle.

The families that held Baynard's Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Baynard

    Built by Ralph Baynard, 1st feudal baron of Little Dunmow, and held by his son Geoffrey and grandson William until forfeiture early in Henry I's reign (1100–1135).

  • Clare

    Granted with the barony of Little Dunmow to Robert Fitz Richard (1064–1136), younger son of Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare, later in Henry I's reign.

  • York

    London headquarters of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses; Edward IV's accession was agreed and proclaimed here on 3 March 1461.

  • Herbert

    Granted to William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, in 1551; the Herberts extended it and held it through the Civil War on Parliament's side.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Baynard's Castle.

St Paul's Cathedral, EnglandCathedralSt Paul's Cathedral0 km awayOld Bailey, EnglandSeat of powerOld Bailey1 km awaySt Mary-le-Bow, EnglandChurchSt Mary-le-Bow1 km away

Questions about Baynard's Castle

What is the history of Baynard's Castle?

Baynard's Castle has an 11th-century Norman beginning at the meeting point of the Roman river wall, the River Fleet and the Thames. King John demolished the original fortification in 1213, and a new mansion was built on reclaimed land to the south-east about a century later. Rebuilt after 1428, it became a Yorkist headquarters and was later reconstructed as a royal palace before the Great Fire destroyed it in 1666.

What is inside Baynard's Castle?

The documented interior of Baynard's Castle included a great hall and an inner courtyard surrounded by wings. The later house had four wings arranged around a courtyard, while Pembroke's extension formed a second courtyard. Archaeological excavations found parts of the north wing, the north gate and gate tower, and the cobbled entrance from Thames Street.

Why was Baynard's Castle built, and what was it used for?

Baynard's Castle was first raised as a Norman fortification at a strategically important junction of the Roman river wall, the River Fleet and the Thames. Its later building became a mansion and royal residence, serving the House of York and then the Tudor monarchy. Henry VII reconstructed it as a royal palace, and later owners extended it around a second courtyard.

Where is Baynard's Castle?

Baynard's Castle was in the City of London beside the Thames and the mouth of the River Fleet. Its buildings occupied two neighbouring sites between what are now Blackfriars station and St Paul's Cathedral. The original fortification stood just east of Blackfriars station, while the later mansion rose on reclaimed land to the south-east.

When was Baynard's Castle built?

Baynard's Castle belongs to the 11th century, although the supplied dates differ within that century: the first-raised year is 1086 and another recorded inception date is 1017. The site developed in phases, with a new mansion built on reclaimed Thames land about a century after the original Norman fortification. That house was rebuilt after 1428.

Which family or clan held Baynard's Castle?

Baynard's Castle was held by the Baynard family, the Clare family, the House of York and the Herbert family. Ralph Baynard raised the original fortification, which passed to his son Geoffrey and grandson William before forfeiture. Robert Fitz Richard later received the barony of Little Dunmow and the soke, the Yorkists used the later house as a London headquarters, and William Herbert received it in 1551.

What did Baynard's Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Baynard's Castle had a long riverside stone façade built on reclaimed river-bank. Five projecting rectangular bays stood between two larger polygonal corner towers, with steep pitched roofs and repeated triangular gables. The river front had landing steps, while round and polygonal masonry towers appeared at intervals, with narrow paired windows on their vertical faces.

Is Baynard's Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Baynard's Castle is demolished rather than a standing ruin. The Great Fire of London left the house in ruins in 1666, although fragments survived into the 19th century. A remaining tower was later pulled down to make way for warehouses, and the site is now occupied by a BT office; most of the site beneath Baynard House is a scheduled monument.

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