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Weoley Castle today

England · Ruin

Weoley Castle

Weoley Castle is the earthwork and stone foundations of a medieval fortified manor in the Weoley Castle district of Birmingham, England. It is a scheduled monument and Grade II listed; only foundations and the drained moat survive today, interpreted and displayed as archaeological ruins and a small museum on site.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1424

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1424

What Weoley Castle looked like in its prime.

By 1424 Weoley Castle occupied an island platform within a water-filled moat fed by a branch of the Bourn Brook, surrounded by a continuous stone curtain wall with crenellated parapet. Behind the curtain rose a long stone great hall with a steeply pitched timber roof and separate stone chapel, while service ranges including a kitchen lay to the south. Buildings are of coursed medieval stone with narrow high windows and tiled roofs, enclosing an inner courtyard on the moated island.

Its story

The story of Weoley Castle.

Weoley Castle, historically the Manor of Welegh, was a fortified manor house in what is now a residential district of Birmingham. Between 1200 and 1260 it was a large timber, and later stone, hall surrounded by a ditch, with a kitchen added to the south; by 1424 a great curtain wall and a moat fed by the Bourn Brook enclosed a layout typical of the age, with great hall, kitchen and chapel.

William Berkeley owned Weoley in 1485, but King Henry VII gave the estate to Jasper Tudor in 1486, who sold it to John, Lord Dudley after just ten days. The Jervoise family abandoned the castle no later than 1603, and by 1631 it was noted as a "ruyned castell".

In the 19th century the estate belonged to the Ledsam family, Joseph Ledsam was a deputy chairman of the London and North Western Railway, and James Coddington Ledsam, the last private owner, sold it to the City of Birmingham in 1929. Owned by the city council and run as a community museum, only the foundations survive and the moat has been drained, though waterlogging preserved the foundations of the wooden kitchen demolished in 1260.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1424.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Weoley Castle, including 3 interiors: great hall interior, chapel interior with altar, kitchen range to the south. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach across the deer parkMoat edge looking up at the curtainWall-walk on the curtain wallInner courtyardGreat hall interiorChapel interior with altarKitchen range to the southRaised earth platform of the earlier timber manor

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The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1424, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Weoley Castle.

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

  • Dudley

    Sold by Jasper Tudor to John, Lord Dudley in 1486.

  • Jervoise

    Held by the Jervoise family until they abandoned the castle, no later than 1603.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Weoley Castle.

The Hawthorns, EnglandStadiumThe Hawthorns7 km awaySt Andrew's, EnglandStadiumSt Andrew's8 km awayVilla Park, EnglandStadiumVilla Park9 km away

Questions about Weoley Castle

What is the history of Weoley Castle?

Weoley Castle developed as a fortified manor between 1200 and 1260, when a large timber and later stone hall stood behind a ditch. Roger de Somery received a licence to crenellate the manor in 1264, and the castle was expanded in the 1270s. By 1424, a curtain wall and moat enclosed the great hall, kitchen and chapel; the Jervoise family abandoned it by 1603.

What is inside Weoley Castle?

Inside Weoley Castle, the surviving layout includes the foundations of a great hall, a chapel with an altar and a kitchen range to the south. These rooms surrounded an inner courtyard on the moated island. The foundations of the wooden kitchen demolished in 1260 survive because waterlogging preserved them.

Who owns Weoley Castle now?

Weoley Castle is owned by the City of Birmingham. It is run as a community museum, and the surviving remains are a scheduled monument and Grade II listed building. James Coddington Ledsam sold the estate to the City of Birmingham in 1929.

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

Weoley Castle was built as a fortified manor house and residence, with a hall, kitchen and chapel enclosed by defensive works. Its early buildings were protected by a ditch, while the later complex had a curtain wall and moat. It is now used as an archaeological and community museum rather than as a residence.

When was Weoley Castle built?

Weoley Castle was first developed between 1200 and 1260, in the 13th century. It began as a timber hall and was later rebuilt as a stone hall surrounded by a ditch. Further enlargement followed Roger de Somery’s 1264 licence to crenellate, with major construction completed during the 1270s; the curtain-wall layout was changed again by 1424.

Which family or clan held Weoley Castle?

The Weoley family or clan claim is not supplied, but Weoley Castle was held by the Dudley family after Jasper Tudor sold it to John, Lord Dudley in 1486. The Jervoise family later held the estate until abandoning the castle no later than 1603. Richard Jervoise purchased the estate around 1531.

What did Weoley Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Weoley Castle stood on an island platform within a water-filled moat fed by a branch of the Bourn Brook. A continuous stone curtain wall with a crenellated parapet enclosed the inner courtyard, with a long great hall, separate chapel and southern service ranges behind it. The buildings used coursed medieval stone, narrow high windows and tiled roofs.

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

Weoley Castle is now a ruin, with only its foundations and drained moat surviving. The foundations include the remains of the stone buildings and the earlier wooden kitchen, preserved by waterlogging. The ruin was noted as a ‘ruyned castell’ by 1631, and repair work later removed it from the Heritage at Risk Register in 2009.

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