Tattershall Castle; the 1st UK castle built from bricks

We travelled to Tattershall from our holiday accommodation by bicycle.

I locked up my helmet with the bikes as I didn’t want to wear it while exploring, then headed towards the castle.

A human dressed as a 16th century peasant was doing tours so we decided to join him.

The first castle was built in 1231, but the castle that remains today was built by Ralph Cromwell between 1434 and 1447.

Cromwell had gained an important position in government as Lord Treasurer to King Henry V and wanted a grand castle to show off his status. He did this by commissioning one built of bricks made from clay, instead of the usual stone. Cromwell built it in the moat of the older castle as there wasn’t room in the middle. The older stone built castle was later destroyed during battles but the brick one has survived. Cannon balls could not bring down the 12ft thick brick walls.

We went down to the basement to start the tour

Beer was stored in the basement. The Lords had full strength beer to drink but it was watered down with 50% water added for the staff to drink. In those times children would have drunk the weak beer from a young age as the water wasn’t pure enough to drink.

There were some little rooms at the side of the main basement hall. Small nooks in the walls would have had locking doors to store precious spices. Here I am in one!

We went up a spiral staircase to the first floor which housed the great hall. Ralph Cromwell had a rabbit and a cabbage sculpted into the fireplace. R for rabbit & Ralph and C for cabbage & Cromwell.

We all went up more stairs to the next floor with the guide…

The hall on 2nd floor was known as The Audience Hall where meetings of noblemen would have been held. There would have been tapestries on the wall but not the ones here. These were put up by Lord Curzon who bought the castle in 1910 after it had been neglected for many years and he started to restore it.

There is a dovecote on the 2nd floor which was installed during a period in history when peasant farmers took over the building.

The models behind me are wearing the sort of clothes worn by wealthy Tudor women, the one in white is wearing petticoats that were worn underneath dresses.

Hundreds of years ago the floors of rooms were covered in rush and straw commonly known as thresh. The raised step in doorways was there to hold the thresh and stop it coming out of the room. Hence the name ‘threshold strip’ that we use today.

The walls of Tattershall Castle are made of clay bricks that were produced by hand. The tour guide pointed out a brick with human finger prints in it. The clay bricks were removed from moulds by hand and occasionally the brick maker grasped them a bit too firmly and left finger marks in them.

Up on the roof of the castle there are three big chimneys. Ralph Cromwell had them built this way to show everyone around that he was wealthy!

There are wonderful views of the flatlands of Lincolnshire all around.

The tour guide asked if I would like a photo with him. He told me that sometimes they have teddy bear picnics at Tattershall and have done teddy zip wire descents from the tower!

I climbed up to the walkway around the very top of the castle.

The appearance is rather like cloisters found in old abbeys.

On my way back down to the bottom I found acroom with dress up clothes for small humans.

Here I am as Lors Horace of Tattershall!

I sat and read the information about ‘Gong Farmers’ who were young boys employed to empty out latrine pits. They were only able to do it at night due to the smell.