Local History: Rockingham Castle
Perched above the Welland Valley, Rockingham Castle is a remarkable blend of medieval strength and Tudor elegance. A royal fortress and a family home, it boasts stunning rooms, historic gardens, and a rich Civil War past. Discover a timeless treasure this spring!
Rockingham Castle is home to the Saunders Watson family, whose ancestors have made their lives there for the last 450 years, following the sale of the Castle by James I in 1619 to Sir Lewis Watson.
Built on the instructions of William the Conqueror between 1066 – 1071, Rockingham Castle is located on the site on an old hill fort which dominated the Welland Valley.
It was used as an administrative centre, sometimes with a garrison of troops and as a base from which to hunt in the surrounding forest.
The most important event under royal ownership was the Council of Rockingham (1095) when all the Bishops and Barons of England met the King (William II) to debate the compatibility of the Church’s allegiance to both Pope and King.
The Norman castle consisted of a keep, surrounded by a curtain wall – inside which was a courtyard (the bailey) containing the Great Hall, the Chapel and the garrison’s living quarters. It was modernised by Edward I in the late 13th Century but fell into disuse in the 15th Century. Henry V was the last king to reside in the castle in 1422.
In 1544 Henry VIII leased the castle to a local landowner Edward Watson who converted it into a comfortable residence, adding another storey to the Great Hall. He also built two wings out from the Great Hall.
Areas of interest in the Castle itself include the entrance towers which were built in the late 13th Century by Edward I, and a Servants’ Hall built directly on the 9ft thick curtain wall. The Great Hall is smaller than the Norman Hall, which was divided into two in the 16th Century.
It was completed in 1579 although the windows and fireplace survive from the 13th Century building. Furniture in the hall includes chests of King John and Henry V, plus a late 16th Century sideboard, an 18th Century Chinese screen and late 17th and 19th Century dining chairs.
The Castle’s kitchen was in regular use until 1940, and it remains in situ alongside The Street – the bakery, brewhouse, game larder and laundry.
Other highlights include the Panel Room – originally part of the Great Hall – the Staircase (added in the 19th Century by Salvin, in French style) and Long Gallery, and the Flag Tower which was built in 1838 as well as the steep spiral staircase which leads up to a small room known as the Armoury, used by Dickens as the model for a room in Bleak House; the author visited the Castle a number of times.
Except during the Civil War (1642-1646) when the castle was occupied by the forces of Parliament who destroyed the keep and much of the curtain wall, the castle has been owned by the Watson family.
Rockingham Castle’s grounds and Formal Gardens are no less of a journey through time. The layout of gardens dates from the 17th century, following the restoration of the Castle gardens after the English Civil Wars.
Emulating the Norman keep, the circular Rose Garden was laid by Sir Anthony Salvin in the mid-nineteenth century and corresponds with his design of the Flag Tower in 1836. 2025 promises to be a spectacular season for the Rose Garden, as the David Austin Roses Partnership Garden is set to come into bloom. For the more adventurous, the Wild Garden offers unrestrained beauty and the chance to be at one with nature; perhaps hinting at its previous iteration as a Victorian pleasure garden.
Just as centuries ago, the thrills and spills of the medieval joust are to be found again this summer on the Tilting Lawn. Journey through time to 1643 and witness a Civil War skirmish on the Tilting Lawn; will Sir Lewis Watson keep the Parliamentarians at bay?
Whether you are looking for a day of family fun or historic intrigue, the gardens and grounds of Rockingham Castle offer something for everyone.
Rockingham Castle is open on Sundays and Bank Holidays from 13th April, Corby, LE16 8TH. Call 01536 770240, see www.rockinghamcastle.com. See our full feature and our calendar of events at Rockingham in our April edition, at https://www.pridemagazines.co.uk/rutland/view-magazines?magazine=April-2025