Tattershall Castle

Previously, a stone fortress stood on the site of the castle, erected in the XIII century by Robert de Tattershall by permission of the crown of May 21, 1231. Only a part of the wall was preserved from this ancient fortification, and the castle, in the form in which it has been preserved to our time, was built between 1434 and 1446 by Ralph, 3rd Lord Cromwell ( English ), to whom the right to own these lands passed. Lord Cromwell was an influential nobleman of his time, served as an adviser to King Henry V and was Lord Treasurer of his successor, King Henry VI . Brick castles are less common in England than stone castles; when a brick was chosen as a building material, often it was because of its aesthetic appeal or because it was fashionable. The trend of using bricks was introduced by Flemish weavers. There was a lot of stone nearby, but Cromwell decided to use a brick. During the construction of the castle, about 700,000 bricks were used.

It is believed that the three ceremonial halls of the castle were once lavishly furnished, and the chambers were heated by huge Gothic fireplaces with decorated cladding and tapestries . It is said that the castle was an early family village estate disguised as a fortress. After Cromwell's death in 1456, Tattershall was inherited by his niece Joan Boucher , but was confiscated by the crown after the death of her husband. In 1560, the castle was rebuilt by Henry Sidney ( Eng. ), Who then sold it to Lord Clinton (later Earl of Lincoln), whose descendants lived in the castle until 1693. Then it was abandoned and dilapidated.

The castle was put up for sale until 1910. His greatest treasures - huge medieval fireplaces - have still not been touched. When an American bought them, they were torn out and packed for shipment. In 1911, Lord George Curzon intervened and bought the castle, and also intended to return the fireplaces. After a nationwide search, they were found in London and returned. The lord restored the castle under the direction of the architect William Weir , and after his death the castle was transferred to the National Fund. Today, Tattershall remains one of the three most important surviving brick castles of the mid- 15th century .

• List of castles in England

• Castle history at Castlexplorer.co.uk and Touruk.co.uk