Beeston Castle

From the mid-fourteenth century the castle fell into disuse and was neglected until the Civil War, when it changed hands twice between the Royalists and Parliamentarians. The subsequent demolition of the castle sealed a large group of Civil War finds, among them fragments of a jack of plate armour, a collection of spurs, and a major group of clay pipes. Later in the seventeenth century the Outer Gateway was reoccupied for a short period. Many traces have been recorded of the nineteenth-century fair held annually on the hilltop.

Summary
There is evidence for Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman activity on this site. The castle visible today was built in the 13th century with Civil War additions. Started in 1220 by Ranulf of Blundeville, the Earl of Chester and in medieval documents the castle is described as Castellum de Rupe, the Castle on the Rock. It was altered during the late 13th-early 14th centuries by Edward I and by the 16th century it was ruined. Partial repairs were undertaken in 1643 and it was partially demolished in 1646 by the Royalists. The gatehouse is mid to late 19th century with 20th century alterations and additions. The building material consists of red sandstone.

The steep walk to the castle's highest point is rewarded with what must be one of the finest views in the country - from the Welsh mountains in the west to the Pennines in the east. In very clear conditions it is just possible to make out Pendle Hill (fifty miles to the north).

Neolithic site?
Archaeological excavations have revealed the remains of a Bronze Age community living on the Beeston crag from about 800BC. Evidence first came to light in 1978 when a socketed Bronze Age axe was discovered on the crag. Archaeological excavations have uncovered some evidence for bronze casting. In addition to the metal finds, numerous fragments of prehistoric pottery and post-holes were uncovered showing the site had a long history of occupation. A neolithic flint arrowhead (found in 1916 by Sir George Windum on the SW slope of the castle and given to the then Duke of Westminster from whom it is reported to have been stolen in London) shows that people were visiting the site at even earlier dates.

Further excavations have discovered the remains of an Iron Age hill fort. These are hard to detect - being most evident on either side of the gatehouse to the outer bailey. It is believed that some of the mediaeval walls are built using existing earthworks.The hill fort was probably abandoned by the beginning of the Roman period. Beeston was listed among the possessions of Robert Fitz Hugh, Baron of Malpas in the Domesday survey of 1086.

Ranulf of Blundeville
There is no clear military reason why Ranulf should have built a castle at Beeston. However, Ranulf had just returned from the fifth crusade and was not on the best terms with the then king, Henry III. It could well be that the castle was a political statement showing the king how powerful Ranulf was. Camden records that Leyland describes it as follows:

When Ranulph from Assyria return’ d with victorie,

As well the neighbour Nations to curbe and terrifie,

As for to fense his owne country, this famous Fort he rais’ d,

Whilom a stately thing, but now the pride thereof is raz’ d.

And yet though at this present time it be in meane estate,

With crackes and breaches much defac’ d, and foulie ruinate,

The day will come when it againe the head aloft shall heave,

If antient prophets I, my selfe a prophet, may believe.

Ranulf designed Beeston castle as two parts. On top of the crag he cut a great ditch through the rock to create the inner bailey, a relatively small enclosure which, with its walls, towers and gatehouse, and with precipitous cliffs on three sides, was the most secure part of the castle. On the lower slopes he created the outer bailey whose walls and towers followed the contours of the ground and which had another massive gatehouse, fronted by a ditch, at its entrance. Ranulf's innovative design differed from most other castles of the day in that were dominated by a huge tower or 'keep' that acted as the main stronghold of the castle. Beeston had no keep, instead small towers projected from the walls which allowed defenders to fire across the faces of the walls. Another innovation was the provision of powerful gatehouses at each entrance designed to protect the most vulnerable parts of the castle and provide a refuge if the walls were breached. Ranulf was heavily influenced by the defenses he encountered in Syria during his time on Crusade. In particular the castle bears heavy resemblance to the fortress at Sahyoun (described as the most impregnable Crusader fortress).

Ranulf died in 1232, long before the construction of Beeston was complete. His successor John Canmore inheirited Beeston, but John, too, died soon after, and the castle passed to the crown. Henry III used Beeston as a garrison and prison during his wars in Wales.

A century later Edward II strengthened the defenses. Between 1301 and 1360, extensive alterations were made to Ranulf of Blundeville's original design for Beeston. Volume 59 of the Translations of the Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society (1910) records that the Master-mason in charge of all the masons working at the castle was one "Master Warin". Warin, was the family-name of the Mainwarings or ‘Mein-warins’ as the name was sometimes spelt in the Middle Ages. A "Roger de Meinwarin" witnessed Ranulf of Blundeville's instruction to his barons regarding the founding of Dieulacres abbey in 1214. (According to the Dieulacres chartulary, "Roger de Menilwarin" also gave the monks of Dieulacres “free common in his wood of Pevere [Peover]” and other valuable privileges). The Mainwarings derived their name from the River Guarenne or Varenne and the small town of that name near Arques in Normandy. The name was anglicized to Warenne or Warren, Warin, and later Waring (there are a great number of variant spellings). Main-waring means the house of the Warings (Peover) in Cheshire.

Richard II's treasure
Local legend holds that Richard II hid his extensive Royal Treasure hereabouts before sailing to Ireland to quell an uprising. Richard never reclaimed his treasure as he was captured, upon his return, at Flint by Henry Bollingbrooke and imprisoned (at Chester Castle for a while in 1399). Many attempts have been made to find the "treasure" over the years and none of them have been successful. Stories have suggested that there are "secret" passageways leading from the well to a nearby farmhouse, a possible escape or re-supply route if the castle was under siege. Local legends place the treasure at the foot of the castle well (said to be around 370 feet deep) or in passages running off the well. Attempts to probe the well (including those using sophisticated electronic measuring devices) revealed at least 3 passages, but no treasure, though investigators conjectured that a fourth passage remains to be investigated. It was widely accepted in the Middle Ages that the gold was guarded by demons and that "anyone that goes down the well will be struck dumb or go mad". There are however many local caves and so it is just possible that a treasure is hidden in the vicinity.

Civil War
The castle was brought back into military use during the Civil War when Parliamentarians seized the castle in February 1643 and made some repairs to the fortifications. In the early hours of 13 December 1643 a very small party of Royalists ("eight firelocks") took the castle. The most probably route into the castle was by a difficult climb at the east end of the north face from a point just below the northern opening of the great ditch.

The governor of the castle (a Captain Steel) was at the time in his lodgings in the lower ward and the attack cost him his life, for while he was allowed to march his garrison of 80 out with colours flying, the War Council at Nantwich decided he was a traitor and had him shot (on Tinkers Croft by the parish church).

A Royalist garrison remained in the castle until 15th November 1645 when, after a long siege, they were forced to surrender. The garrison had seen the defeat of the Royalists at nearby Marston Moor at the end of September and Captain Vallet, Governor, and his 56 men were starved out. The fall of Chester followed in February 1646 and (as Henry Vaughan wrote)...


 * prsentlie afterwards command was gyven and warrants sente to thee sev'all p'ishes of Bunbury, Tarporley, Wrenbury and Acton and some other places and Townshipps neerest adoiyning fflor the pullinge downe and utter defacinge of Beeston Castle, wch before Whitsunweeke 1646 was p'formed. Onlie the Gatehouse in the lower warde, & pte of some Towers in the higher warde, weire lefte standinge wch scythens are pulled down & utterlie defaced.

In art?
Beeston may appear in the works of John Glover. Who was known to have painted scenes in Chester

Sources and Links

 * Beeston Castle unofficial website;
 * Beeston Castle listed building record;
 * English Heritage - History of Beeston Castle;
 * Beeston Castle on Wikipedia;
 * Beeston Castle at CastleFortsBattles;
 * Beeston Castle at CheshireLive;
 * Beeston Castle at Britain Express;