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Penwortham Castle today

England · Ruin

Penwortham Castle

Penwortham Castle was an early Norman motte castle on the south bank of the River Ribble at Penwortham, Lancashire. Built shortly after the Norman Conquest by Roger of Poitou, only the earthwork motte survives today and the site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1210

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1210

What Penwortham Castle looked like in its prime.

A compact Norman motte castle: a pronounced conical earthen motte set on the riverbank, encircled by a shallow defensive ditch and originally topped by a timber palisade and a small timber keep. Adjoining the motte sits an enclosed bailey of simple timber ranges with thatched roofs and packed-earth yards. Construction materials are primarily turf, clay and timber; the site is framed by low tree cover and the nearby course of the River Ribble.

Its story

The story of Penwortham Castle.

Penwortham Castle was built shortly after the Norman Conquest by Roger of Poitou, a motte castle on the south bank of the River Ribble west of Preston, guarding the estuary and a ford across the river. The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded six burgesses, three radmen, eight villeins and four neatherds attached to it.

When Roger built Lancaster Castle, Penwortham declined in importance. In the early 13th century Randolph de Blundeville, Earl of Chester and baron of Lancaster, held his courts in the castle, but soon afterwards it fell into disrepair. Only the mound remains; the site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Step inside

5 places to explore in 1210.

The record describes 5 distinct spots at Penwortham Castle, including 1 interior: great hall / court chamber. 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 along the riverside trackBase of the motte beside the ditchBailey yard with domestic rangesGreat hall / court chamberView from the ford on the River Ribble

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Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Penwortham Castle.

Deepdale, EnglandStadiumDeepdale3 km awayEwood Park, EnglandStadiumEwood Park16 km awayBlackpool Tower, EnglandTowerBlackpool Tower23 km away

Questions about Penwortham Castle

What is the history of Penwortham Castle?

Penwortham Castle began in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest, as a motte castle built by Roger of Poitou. It guarded the River Ribble estuary and a ford. After Roger built Lancaster Castle, Penwortham declined in importance; in the early 13th century Randolph de Blundeville held his courts there, before it fell into disrepair.

What is inside Penwortham Castle?

The documented interior spaces of Penwortham Castle are a great hall and a court chamber. The surviving castle is only the mound, so these spaces describe the castle’s documented interior rather than rooms that remain standing today.

Why was Penwortham Castle built, and what was it used for?

Penwortham Castle was built to guard the River Ribble estuary and a ford across the river. Its motte-and-bailey form provided a defended position beside this crossing. After Lancaster Castle was built, Penwortham declined in importance and later fell into disrepair.

Where is Penwortham Castle?

Penwortham Castle is at Penwortham, on the south bank of the River Ribble, west of Preston in Lancashire. The site is beside the river and near a ford across it. Penwortham is the associated administrative area.

When was Penwortham Castle built?

Penwortham Castle was built in the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest. Its first-raised year is not recorded, while the castle’s prime year is given as 1210. By the early 13th century, Randolph de Blundeville was holding his courts there.

What did Penwortham Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Penwortham Castle was a compact Norman motte castle with a pronounced conical earthen mound beside the river. A shallow ditch surrounded the motte, which was topped by a timber palisade and small timber keep. An enclosed bailey contained simple timber ranges with thatched roofs and packed-earth yards, built mainly from turf, clay and timber.

Is Penwortham Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Penwortham Castle is a ruin, and only the earthwork mound survives. The motte and its surrounding defensive ditch remain as the principal visible features, while the timber palisade, keep and bailey buildings no longer survive. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Who built Penwortham Castle?

Penwortham Castle was built by Roger of Poitou shortly after the Norman Conquest. It was a motte castle on the south bank of the River Ribble, created to guard the estuary and a ford across the river. No separate architect is identified in the supplied material.

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