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PEVERIL CASTLE, CASTLETON, DERBYSHIRE

    Peveril Castle is a romantically sited castle, now ruinous
but impressive, as it stands high in the Peak District of England.
Also known as "the Castle of the Peak", Peveril Castle may be best
known to fans of Sir Walter Scott, who featured it in his novel
"Peveril of the Peak".  It is located between Manchester and
Sheffield, but is well sheltered from the encroachment of modern
times.  It is an incredible site to visit, for the castle sits atop
a ridge bounded by the sheer cliffs of Peak Cavern and Cave Dale.
And the climb to today's entrance is nothing short of invigorating,
made easier (?) by the zigzag pattern of the pathway to the top.
Laden with my rather heavy camera and tourist information, I had
to wonder several times on the journey upwards if I was ever going
to see the end, and I at times questioned my sanity for taking on
the challenge!  But, to be sure, the climb was well worth the
effort, for the castle provides outstanding views of the
countryside (when the fog has lifted!) and is an interesting place
to explore.


HISTORY -

    Peveril Castle is small in comparison to many of the better
known fortresses in Britain, especially considering it was the
stronghold for several kings.  Nevertheless, it had a significant
history and its remains tell the story of early castle life.
Prized for its location as a buffer between the Penines and Cumbria
and as a rich source of lead (and the silver which was extracted),
William the Conqueror granted the site to William Peverel as a
reward for services during the Conquest.  Unlike the majority of
early Norman castles in Britain, which were earth and timber
strongholds, Peveril, significantly, started out as a masonry
castle. Completed by 1086, the Peverel's castle originally
consisted of a stone curtain wall around the triangular site, which
created a circuit of natural and man-made defenses.  The remains
of this early curtain wall are still visible and easily
distinguished by their herringbone pattern, a typically Norman
style of stonework.  Timber-framed buildings, which no longer
survive, probably stood behind these stone walls.

    The castle remained under the Peverel family's control until
1155, when William Peverel the Younger lost favor with the Crown,
and lost claim to the estates at Peveril and nearby Bolsover Castle
(also open to the public).  Unfortunately for William, he was
charged with complicity in the poisoning of Ranulf, the Earl of
Chester (although there is speculation that he was framed), and was
banished to a life in the monastery.  King Henry II took control
of the stronghold, made many modifications to the basic design, and
is responsible for the castle we see today.

    Although not one of the king's primary castles, Henry II took
a personal interest in its refortification.  He visited the castle
in 1157, 1158 and 1164, and added the Old Hall, Chapel, East
Gatehouse (today's entry) and Keep during his reign.  The small,
rectangular Keep is the castle's most imposing structure and
survives in excellent condition.  It was built in 1176-77 in
response to the 1173-74 rebellion by the king's son, Prince Henry,
when it was recognized that stronger defenses were needed.

    Peveril Castle was well maintained into the early 1200's.  The
only time it was required to defend itself from any real challenge
was in 1216, when the castle (and Bolsover) was actually still in
the hands of individuals dissatisfied with King John.  Brian de
Lisle controlled the castle at this time, and was ordered on
several occasions to turn the site over to the king's supporter,
William de Ferrers.  When de Lisle refused, de Ferrers lost
patience and assaulted the castle.  Ironically, Henry III became
king at Christmas and declined to punish de Lisle for his
resistance.

    Henry III also took a great interest in Peveril Castle and
made extensive repairs to the structure: in 1223, 1225-26, 1226-
28, 1235-36 (when the north wall and bridge were repaired, and a
horse mill constructed), and 1248-49 (when the keep and other
structures were repaired).  He also made repairs in 1250-52 when
the keep and eastern watch-tower had their roofs covered with lead
and their floors restored.  In addition, the curtain wall, bakery,
gates and porch of the Old Hall were repaired.  With all the money
and effort put into maintaining the castle, it is interesting that
Henry III only stayed here once, in 1235.

    In 1254, Henry III granted Peveril Castle to his son, the
future Edward I.  It soon became part of the dower of Queen
Eleanor, and then was given to Simon de Montfort.  Upon de
Montfort's death, Peveril reverted to the Crown and became Edward's
property once again.  Upon his coronation in 1272, he granted the
castle (and its repair bills!) to Eleanor, who was required to pay
an annual rent of 100 pounds for the estate and "honour" of the
castle!

    After Eleanor's untimely death in 1290, the stronghold was
granted to their son, Edward II, who did not keep the castle.
After becoming king in 1307, Edward II gave the castle to Piers
Gaveston and then to John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, in 1310 (and
also in 1314).  Once again the castle passed to a king's wife, this
time in 1327 to the widowed Queen Isabella.  Although Isabella was
to have care of the castle for her lifetime, she only maintained
control for the next three years, when she was ordered into
retirement by her son, King Edward III, for her role in the murder
of his father.

    In 1331, King Edward III granted Peveril Castle to his wife,
Philippa, and stayed there himself during that year.  Upon the
queen's death in 1369, the castle was turned over to John of Gaunt,
Edward's son, and the castle then became part of the Duchy of
Lancaster.  John's son, Henry of Bolingbroke, became King Henry IV
in 1399, and Peveril Castle once again became Crown property when
John of Gaunt died in that same year.

    Unfortunately, time was not on Peveril's side, and the castle
ceased its role as a defensive stronghold and as a royal residence.
Repairs were no longer undertaken and the castle was primarily used
from then on as a courthouse, and at times as a prison.  Later it
was used as a pound for containing stray cattle.  Materials from
the halls and other buildings was pilfered for use elsewhere, so
that by the 17th century the stronghold was completely ruinous.

    It was not until the 19th century, when the fashion had turned
to antiquarian interests, that Peveril Castle was once again given
attention.  Still under control of the Duchy of Lancaster, some
repairs were made to the curtain walls and the keep, and the castle
was saved from complete devastation.

    In 1932 Peveril Castle was placed under the guardianship and
care of the Office of Works, now known as the Secretary of State
for the Environment.  Today, it is maintained under the auspices
of English Heritage, who ensures the castle's future existence and
opens it to the public for our continued enjoyment.


SITE DESCRIPTION -

    As mentioned above, the walk to the castle's modern entry is
quite a daunting one!  Once you have met the challenge, you will
first see the remains of the East Gatehouse.  Originally, the
castle's main entrance point was on the opposite side of the site,
near the Keep.  This eastern entrance served as a back gate to the
stronghold, and was built some 100 years later than the first gate.
It probably served as the main access to the town of Castleton,
which sprang up in the mid-12th century, and may have been a
postern gate (although this seems unlikely, due to its visibility,
and its relative vulnerability, being so distant from the Keep).


    What remains of the East Gatehouse is the left-hand part of
the original archway.  Clearly it must have been a fine looking
structure, for even today we can see remains of decorative
stonework.  It apparently was once covered with zigzag designs,
similar to those still found in the local church, and would have
been a typically Norman construction.  There is not enough of the
gatehouse left standing to determine its original plan, nor how
tall it was.  One can speculate that it was probably quite simple,
perhaps just an archway, and may have had a simple observation
tower on the first floor.  This simplicity would be in keeping with
the basics of the rest of the castle.  Also, there seems to have
been more concern with attack on the other side of the castle,
where the Keep and watchtowers stood, so that an elaborate gateway
was probably not deemed as important for this part of the castle.

    After passing through the Eastern Gateway, you will notice the
steep grade of the inner ward.  It is difficult to imagine living
and working (or standing!) here with any great comfort, for all the
floors must have been slanted!  But this inner ward of the castle
evidently contained the domestic lodgings and more functional
buildings of the castle.  The main hub of activity seems to have
been on the opposite side of the inner ward from where we entered.

    Peveril Castle was triangular in shape.  The northern leg of
the triangle is bounded by the North Curtain Wall, which runs to
your immediate right and proceeds forward to the western side of
the castle.  This northern walling contains much of the original
masonry still visible at the castle - marked by the herringbone
pattern of stones along the base of the curtain.  These stones date
to the 11th century, and are excellent examples of Norman
stonework.  As one author states, these stones also indicated "how
important this castle was in the first years after the Conquest
that it should have been built in stone, when most castles were
still defended by earthwork banks topped with timber stockades".
Other styles of masonry lie above this original work, used in later
times when a better wall-walk was required and when the projecting
turret was added.  This turret is best seen from the exterior of
the castle, when you pass it on the zigzag pathway, and lies about
50 feet from the East Gatehouse.  It would have provided an extra
area for defending the castle from armed attack and from
undermining.  The turret also probably acted as additional security
for the fairly vulnerable gatehouse.

    At the furthest end of the North Curtain Wall are the remains
of several buildings.  These ruins include the New Hall, a kitchen
and service block along the northern wall, and domestic chambers
built into the western curtain wall.  These buildings date to the
early 13th century.  The first rooms you encounter are at the "low"
end of the New Hall: the kitchen, buttery and pantry, where
foodstuffs and drink were stored.  Today you can wander through
their foundations, and note pillar bases and "slops" - chutes for
draining waste away from the area.  After leaving the kitchen area,
you will encounter the main body of the Hall, of which only the
remains of the large central open hearth can be viewed.  At the
opposite end of the New Hall was the "high" end: the dais where the
lord, his family, and any special guests dined.

    Behind the New Hall, along the western curtain wall, are the
remains of the lord's domestic apartments, including the solar on
the first level and more rooms above.  Again, only the foundations
have survived.  These apartments were altered over the years and
a large window was constructed into the western wall.  This
probably served both as a lookout and a place of contemplation.

    As you proceed along the western wall, you will next be
walking toward the Keep and the remains of the original entrance.
To your right beyond the wall is Peak Cavern Gorge, which you can
view through an open area where a small turret once stood.  This
limestone gorge is quite impressive, some 150 feet wide and over
230 feet deep, and was created by the collapse of the extensive
underground cavern system.  Interestingly, for over 400 years, a
rope-walk was used to cross the gorge!  Clearly, there were easier
ways to traverse the canyons in this area, but this certainly was
one of the most spectacular methods (not for the weak-hearted, to
be sure!).  Just past the remains of the turret is a latrine chute,
which would have emptied into the gorge (for sanitary (?)
purposes).  You may also be able to spot scars of buildings in the
grass to your left, in the inner ward.  They may have been
ancillary chambers for the lord's quarters.

    Finally, as you labor up the rather steep ground inside the
inner ward, you reach the original entrance into the castle.  This
gateway was a rather simple structure, basically just a stone
archway, and led, not to the Peak Cavern Gorge, but to a bridge
which crossed to the Outer Bailey.  Visitors could approach the
castle from the Peak Forest or Winnats Pass beyond the Outer
Bailey, and then gain access to the main part of the stronghold
through this gate.  Today the Outer Bailey is not accessible, but
you can look over to it and imagine what once stood there.  Remains
of the buildings still exist but are indistinct, as they are
covered with bracken and soil.  Apparently, a D-shaped barbican
once defended the main gatehouse from the Outer Bailey.  The
barbican probably was enclosed by earthen embankments and protected
with either timber palisades or stone walling.  Remains of other
buildings dot the Outer Bailey, and may have included a stables and
workshops.  (Sadly, this area is not in the care of English
Heritage.  What an excellent addition it would make to the image
of Peveril Castle if the Outer Bailey could be restored to
something of its former glory!)

    The Keep lies just to the west of the main entrance.  It is
a rather small structure for a royal castle - 40 feet square by 60
feet tall - but is a typical rectangular keep, only lacking a
forebuilding.  (Most rectangular keeps used a forebuilding to
provide an enclosed staircase into the first floor.)  Here at
Peveril, the Keep was probably accessed using a wooden ladder,
which could be removed in times of attack.  Much of the exterior
masonry has been pilfered or fallen due to neglect.  However, at
the top and on the south-eastern face, excellent examples remain
of the fine-cut ashlar blocks which originally adorned the entire
Keep.  The exterior also has scanty remains of decorative
sculpture, and a projecting stone box which held the latrine chute.

    The interior is now accessed by a modern spiral staircase.
The first floor has only one main living room, with windows, and
two smaller chambers at the north and south corners.  One served
as the latrine mentioned above and the other may have been used as
a closet.  The main chamber lacks any formal heating device, and
was probably warmed with portable braziers.  A spiral staircase
remains in the eastern corner, and gave access to the upper level
and the wall-walk, and also to the basement.  The small size of the
Keep indicates that it was not used regularly for accommodation,
but more likely served as a refuge in times of attack.  It could
be fully self-sufficient and would be able to endure at least a
brief onslaught.

    The final side of the castle, the south side, seems more a
jumble of ruins than the remains of several distinct buildings.
This side is now enclosed by a modern wall, but once the curtain
wall was thick and held two round watch towers, built in the 13th
century.  Only one of these towers survives to any extent.  It is
notable for its construction with Roman blocks taken from the
nearby site of Anavio, at Brough.  Ruins of the 12th century Old
Hall and Chapel may be explored along this side of Peveril Castle.
After its replacement by the New Hall, seen earlier, this building
probably continued as residential quarters until the castle fell
into ruin.  Today only the lowest foundations remain - a low wall
with a "chamfered plinth" - dating the structure to the 12th
century.  To the east of the Old Hall you will find more 11th
century herringbone masonry.  This marks the remains of a building
which was later incorporated into the Hall as a side wing.  Just
beyond these ruins are the stones from the castle's Chapel.  As
with the other buildings in the inner ward, only the foundations
have survived.

     Peveril Castle is impressive, despite its ruinous condition.
Its location, in the midst of one of the grandest areas in Britain,
is certainly breath-taking (literally!) and provides a great view
of the Peak District.  Its short history was active and full of
royal attention.  Its architecture gives us a glimpse of the
development of a castle through various building phases, and offers
us an understanding of the harsh realities of living in the Middle
Ages.  Peveril Castle is a delight, and well worth a visit.

    by: CASTLES UNLIMITED, Lise Hull, E-mail: CASTLES [e-mail]