Broughton CastleSummary
The family
seat of the Fiennes family since 1377, Broughton Castle is a fortified manor house
surrounded by a wide moat, and set in idyllic parkland. History
Broughton Castle was built by Sir John de Broughton in 1300 at this peaceful location
where the confluence of three streams created a natural site for a moated manor.
The house was sold in 1377 to William Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and one of
the most powerful men in medieval England. A subsequent Wykeham married into the
Fiennes family, in whose hands the castle still rests. The original house,
of which much still remains, was remodeled extensively in 1554 and again in the
17th and 19th centuries. The original house was crenellated (battlements were
added) by Sir Thomas Wykeham in 1406. Beginning in 1550 Richard Fiennes transformed
the medieval manor into the Tudor house that you see today. Sir Richard added
the west wing, with the Great Parlour and the Oak Room. It was left to Sir Richard's
son, also named Richard, to complete the Great Parlour with the addition of the
quite wonderful plaster ceiling.  The
great drama in the history of Broughton Castle was to follow in the 17th century.
Sir William Fiennes was one of the leading activists against Charles I. He allowed
Broughton to be used as a meeting place for those plotting against the king, and
later raised troops to fight against the king at the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.
The battle was lost, and Royalist troops later besieged the castle, overcoming
the defenders and occupying the castle for a time.
Broughton fell into
decay in the 19th century, but was eventually rescued from a descent into decrepitude
by Frederick Fiennes, 16th Lord Saye and Sele, who brought in prominent Victorian
architect Sir George Gilbert Scott to rescue Broughton. Moviegoers will
recognize Broughton Castle from the blockbuster film Shakespeare in Love (1998).
It was also featured in The Madness of King George (1994), Three Men and a Little
Lady (1990), and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982). Visiting
Broughton Castle - Highlights The Gatehouse
and Moat
The castle is approached over a bridge across the moat and through the imposing
crenellated Gatehouse, built in 1405 by Sir Thomas Wykeham. The moat itself is
six feet deep and encircles an area of 3 acres. Pass through the gatehouse and
enter the courtyard. To your left is the shop and tea room, and ahead across an
expanse of lawn is the Tudor frontage of Broughton Castle. Great
Hall
The Great Hall incorporates the original hall built in 1300. Above the fireplace
in the Great Hall is a portrait of William of Wykeham, copied from an original
portrait of c 1400. About the hall are arranged suits of armour in high niches,
while swords and guns, halberds, pikes, and other weapons (most medieval) from
around the world hang upon the wall. The ceiling is ornately plastered with large
pendants hanging down in 18th century style. A passage beside the entry leads
to ... Dining Room
Superb
"Double linen fold" paneling rings this rectangular chamber, which was
originally the undercroft of the medieval house. To the left of the main window
the paneling has been carved into a depiction of Broughton Castle itself, beside
the likenesses of two sheep, and indication of the source of the family's wealth. From
the Dining Room the Groined Passage
leads to stairs to the first floor. The passage is worth taking your time over,
as it features some very fine medieval vaulting with fancifully caved corbel heads
supporting the vaulting. See the photo
gallery for a look at the passage and one of the corbel heads. The
Long Gallery
The stairs from the Groined Passage on the ground floor lead to the Long Gallery.
This was a common feature in Tudor manor houses, being a place where you could
exercise on days when the weather did not permit you go outside. It was also a
place to showcase family portraits and art objects. At one end of the Long Gallery
is... Queen Anne's Room
So named because Queen Anne of Denmark, wife of James I, slept here in 1604. A
contemporary portrait of the queen hangs above the fireplace. The four poster
bed is 18th century Hepplewhite, and the Chinese silk bed covers date from the
same period. A small hagioscope (window with space to kneel and observe the interior
of a church) in the corner of the room looks down into the family chapel. The
chapel was consecrated in 1337, and the tiles and the altar are also early 14th
century. The Kings Room
Two kings have stayed in this room; King James I in 1604 and Edward VII in 1901.
Hand painted 18th century Chinese wallpaper graces the chamber as well as the
small antechamber leading off the main room. The ornate fireplace is in the French
style and dates to 1554. The richly carved stucco overmantle depicts a scene from
the works of the Roman poet Ovid, with dryads dancing about an oak tree. The
Great Parlour
At the opposite end of the Long Gallery from
Queen Anne's Room is the Great Parlour. The most striking feature of this room
is the quite remarkable plastered ceiling. One end of the ceiling shows the date
1559, and the other has the initials of Richard and Elizabeth Fiennes. The wallpaper
has been designed to resemble leather. Two Coronation chairs can be found here;
from the coronations of George V and Elizabeth II. The chairs were used during
the coronation ceremony and then purchased by Lord Saye and Sele as mementoes
of the occasions. In one corner of the room is the Coronation Robe worn by Lord
Saye and Sele to the coronation of Elizabeth (see
photo gallery). Family mementoes are dotted about the chamber, including a
top hat given to Cecil Fiennes in 1859 for dismissing three batsmen with successive
balls while playing cricket. This is one of the earliest known cases of a cricket
"hat trick". Now take the stairs up to ... The
Council Chamber 
Used in the 1630s for secret meetings by William Fiennes and his friends plotting
against King Charles I. Sir William was a founder of the Providence Island Company
, whose avowed purpose was to encourage settlement in the Caribbean. Fiennes and
his associates used the Providence Island Company as a cover for their illicit
meeting to organize resistance against Charles I. Fiennes and men like Pym, Hampden,
Lord Warwick, Lord Brooke, and Sir Henry Vane met in what they called "the
room that hath no ears", which is believed to be this chamber. In the
centre of the chamber is a small table upon which are several cannon balls. These
were found in the moat in 1768 and are believed to have come from the siege of
Broughton Castle by Royalist troops following the Battle of Edgehill in October
1642. The Royalists eventually forced the castle defenders to surrender. Descend
once more to the ground floor and the ... Oak
Room
The Oak Room is built upon the foundations of the 14th century kitchens. This
chamber is named for the oak paneling that covers much of the wall area. The most
notable aspect of the Oak Room is the ornate porch, a very unusual interior feature.
Above the porch is the Latin inscription 'Quod olim fuit meminisse minime iuvat'
(there is no pleasure in the memory of the past). It seems likely that this inscription
was added by William, the 8th Lord Saye and Sele, upon the restoration of the
monarchy. Perhaps Sir William intended to draw a line under his family's past
support for Parliament during the Civil War, and show appropriate gratitude to
King Charles II for pardoning the family upon his return to the throne. Gardens
and Grounds
The gardens at Broughton are a lovely mix of formal and informal. The formal part
is the Ladies Garden at the rear of the house, enclosed by low walls. This garden
of low hedges and gravelled walks was built upon the site of the 16th century
kitchens. The roses are a particularly lovely aspect of this garden, and are at
their best in July. Church
The parish church of St Mary's stands only a few yards from the moat at Broughton
Castle. It is well worth a visit, for the elaborate family tombs of the Wykeham
and Fiennes family who are buried here, as well as the quite lovely medieval wall
paintings. These latter, though reasonable well preserved, pale in splendour beside
the richly painted tomb of Sir John de Broughton, founder of the castle (d. 1315).
Sir John's tomb, on the south wall of the south aisle, is quite remarkable for
its rich ornamentation. (See photo
gallery) Editors Review
Broughton Castle is an overlooked gem; it is hard to imagine a more perfect setting
for an historic house. The lovely moat and the open fields beyond contrive to
give Broughton an air of timeless beauty. The gardens are small but probably the
most profusely colourful I have seen at any more famous estate. The house is cheerfully
informal, with an enjoyable mix of art and furnishings with family objects and
memorabilia gleaned over the centuries. Broughton Castle gets two enthusiastic
thumbs up from this writer! Contact
Broughton Castle
Broughton
nr Banbury
Oxfordshire
OX15 5EB
Tel: 01295 276 070
Email: info@broughtoncastle.com
Web: http://www.broughtoncastle.com/
Map Entry
Fee charged Facilities
Washrooms,
shop and cafe on site. Pub in Broughton village within a short walk. Location
2 1/2 miles southwest of Banbury, on the B4035 Shipston on Stour road
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