The Lost Castle - Woodhouse in Wiltshire

NEW DVD now available for just £9.99 plus p&p. Click HERE for more details.

The Lost Castle

Woodhouse in Wiltshire

Woodhouse Castle is a mystery!

Reputed to have once been the largest fortified manor house in the West of England, it is amazing that so little remains – not only of the structure but also in historical records.

When John Snelgrove was a child in the nineteen fifties he lived on his father’s farm: Woodhouse Farm near Horningsham in Wiltshire.

He was astounded to find the ruins of a castle in his back garden.

He was fascinated by the remains, and together with a friend from his school years, Michael Forward, he has spent the last four decades researching the lost castle.

It would appear that the first structure dates back to after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when it was given to one of King William’s knights, Sir John Vernon. Subsequently the Manor House and surrounding lands was owned by the same family for over 400 years. By the 17^th Century it had passed into the hands of the powerful landowners, the Arundell family from Wardour.

Lord Arundell was a prominent catholic at the time of the English Civil War, so Woodhouse Castle became a prime target. Parliamentary forces under the command of Major Wansey, a watchmaker from Warminster, captured the castle on 1 May 1643.

A year later in July 1644, Francis Doddington under the command of Sir Ralph Hopton retook the castle for the Royalist cause. In a ferocious battle, the castle walls were bombarded by canon. Such was the damage that it is unlikely that the castle was ever inhabited again after the Civil War attack.

Most of the rubble from the remains was used to build the adjacent farmhouse, and the new Manor House for the Arundell family, which is now on the far side of Horningsham next to the Church.

Very little remains of Woodhouse Castle today.

The ruins have become overgrown and very, very slowly nature is reclaiming the stone structure that has stood on the site for over 800 years.

In the seventies, John and Michael arranged a survey of the site and found that the walls indicate it was originally a three side structure with a tower on each corner. This makes Woodhouse Castle the only triangular shaped castle in England!

One fascinating fact that also came to light is that it appears that the village of Horningsham – mentioned in the Doomsday Book – has moved from alongside Woodhouse Castle, to its present location about a mile away!

The site is now a scheduled monument so it is protected in law in that it can not be altered or disturbed in anyway.

Woodhouse Castle is located on private property, a part of the Longleat Estate. The owners have decided that because of the condition of the castle and for health and safety reasons, access for the public is not allowed.

John and Michael have recorded in this video the story of the Lost Castle, so that it can be held for posterity. They have attempted to trace the castle’s history and that of the people that have owned and occupied it. The video includes a re-enactment of the two Civil War battles and film of the condition of the remains as they are today.

For details of The Lost Castle DVD / Video click HERE

NEW DVD now available for just £9.99 plus p&p. Click HERE for more details.

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