The remains of Ashley Castle are in the small village of

Ashley, Test Valley Ashley is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, west of Winchester. Its nearest town is Stockbridge, which lies 2.6 miles (4.2 km) north-west. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 72. ...

, in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

(). The visible remains now consist of sections of the ditch and ramparts.

Construction

The castle (also sometimes referred to as Gains Castle), was originally built in 1138, on the site of a former

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

fort. The site is likely to have been of strategic value, having a well, standing on high ground above the Somborne valley, and lying a short distance from the Roman road from Winchester to Sarum. Its builder was the powerful

Henry de Blois Henry of Blois ( c. 1096 8 August 1171), often known as Henry of Winchester, was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death. He was the son of Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy, a yo ...

, a grandson of

William I of England William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was ...

, and the younger brother of King Stephen. Henry de Blois was the Bishop of Winchester from 1129 until his death 1171, a prolific builder (including of

Wolvesey Castle Wolvesey Castle, in Winchester, Hampshire, England, was the main residence of the Bishop of Winchester in the Middle Ages. The castle, mostly built by Henry of Blois in the 12th century, is now a ruin, except for its fifteenth-century chapel, wh ...

, the bishop's palace in Winchester, and of a number of castles), and one of the most powerful figures of his day in the English kingdom.

Slighting

The castle was built during

the Anarchy The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Duchy of Normandy, Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adel ...

, a prolonged period of unrest and civil war between opposing factions led by King Stephen and the

Empress Matilda Empress Matilda (10 September 1167), also known as Empress Maud, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter and heir of Henry I, king of England and ruler of Normandy, she went to ...

. The Anarchy ended with the consensual accession of Matilda's son

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

in 1154. Shortly afterwards, in 1155, Ashley Castle was

slighted Slighting is the deliberate damage of high-status buildings to reduce their value as military, administrative, or social structures. This destruction of property is sometimes extended to the contents of buildings and the surrounding landscape. It ...

(partially demolished), along with other castles built by Henry of Blois. Although Henry II was the son of the Empress Matilda, and Henry of Blois was the brother of her adversary, King Stephen, this was not necessarily an act of retaliation against Henry of Blois; in re-asserting royal authority through the realm, Henry II destroyed numerous unauthorised castles that had been raised during the Anarchy. Further, Henry of Blois had been directly involved in negotiating the peace settlement which ended the Anarchy.

Reconstruction

Despite its slighting in the 1150's, Ashley castle was to have a second lease of life. Within fifty years, during the reign of Henry II's son King John, Ashley Castle was restored by a new owner,

William Briwere William Briwere (died 1244) was a medieval Bishop of Exeter. Early life Briwere was the nephew of William Brewer, a baron and political leader during King Henry III of England's minority.Vincent ''Peter des Roches'' p. 213 Nothing else is kn ...

the elder (c.1145-1226), probably in stone. William Briwere was a wealthy landowner who held the manor of Ashley, as well as large estates in the west country. He was a powerful man and a leading counsellor of three successive kings of England, King

Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

, King

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and King Henry III. In an early account Briwere was referred to as one of King John's "evil advisers". Intriguingly for aficionados of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

, one of the offices he held, from 1194 to 1199, was

High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests The Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests is a position established by the Normans in England. The sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in t ...

, which makes him a theoretical model for the fictitious

Sheriff of Nottingham The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, ...

in the Robin Hood legend. He is also said to have been involved in the signing of

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...

in 1215 (though perhaps reluctantly, given his allegiance to the King), founded

Mottisfont Abbey Mottisfont Abbey is a historical priory and English country house, country Estate (land), estate in Hampshire, England. Sheltered in the valley of the River Test, the property is now operated by the National Trust. 393,250 people visited the si ...

, a house of Augustinian canons six miles from Ashley (to whom he donated

St Mary's Church, Ashley St. Mary's Church is a historic Anglican church in the hamlet of Ashley, Hampshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of The Churches Conserva ...

), and ended his days in 1226 as a Cistercian monk at Dunkeswell Abbey in Devon. In 1200 King John granted Briwere a

licence to crenellate In medieval England, Wales and the Channel Islands a licence to crenellate (or licence to fortify) granted the holder permission to fortify his property. Such licences were granted by the king, and by the rulers of the counties palatine within the ...

a number of castles, including, in Hampshire, one at either Stockbridge or Ashley, at Briwere's election. Briwere chose Ashley (referred to in the grant as "Esleg"). (There is no castle in Stockbridge, so the reference to it in the grant is a mystery; it may conceivably have been to the ancient hill fort above that town at Woolbury). In an age when the crown saw a potential rebel stronghold in every castle held by a nobleman, and the Anarchy was a recent memory, permission to fortify in this way was a rare privilege. Only five known licences to crenellate were granted in 1200, three of them to John Briwere.

Seat of the Warden of West Bere

King John is documented as having stayed frequently at Ashley, possibly in connection with hunting expeditions in the

royal forest A royal forest, occasionally known as a kingswood (), is an area of land with different definitions in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The term ''forest'' in the ordinary modern understanding refers to an area of wooded land; however, the ...

of West Bere (also known as Bere Ashley), part of the

Forest of Bere The Forest of Bere is a mixed-use partially forested area in Hampshire immediately north of Fareham, Portsmouth and Roman Road, Havant and including a small part of the South Downs National Park. Ashley was the administrative headquarters of the

of West Bere. Official crown business is known to have been transacted from the castle, as a number of royal letters from this era are headed 'Ashley'. The chief royal officer for the forest (which included villages) was the Warden, who had responsibility for enforcing forest law. Wardens were generally important magnates, as Briwere was. The Warden of West Bere had his manor at Ashley, and would have stayed in Ashley castle when in residence. Many royal forests in England had a castle headquarters of this sort. In addition to serving as a residence, pleas were heard, poachers sometimes imprisoned and forest officers housed there. Despite its role as an administrative base for crown land, Ashley Castle appears always to have been considered as part of the manor of Ashley rather than as crown property, and the interests of the wardens were often allowed to overrule the interest of the sovereigns whose property they were supposed to be protecting.'The History of Ashley, Kate Gilbert, published by Hampshire County Council, 1992,

Under the Despensers

The manor of Ashley passed in 1312 from the Briweres to the Despensers, a family in league with another unsuccessful and unpopular king,

Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

Hugh Despenser the Younger Hugh Despenser, 1st Baron Despenser (1287/1289 – 24 November 1326), also referred to as "the Younger Despenser", was the son and heir of Hugh Despenser, Earl of Winchester (the Elder Despenser) and his wife Isabel Beauchamp, daughter of Wi ...

was an infamous favourite and counsellor of King

, after whose overthrow in 1326 he was found guilty of high treason and hanged, drawn and quartered. Despite this fall from grace, Ashley was shortly afterwards restored to the Despensers, only for history to repeat itself in 1400 when

Thomas Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester Thomas Despenser, 2nd Baron Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester (22 September 1373 – 13 January 1400) was the son of Edward le Despenser, 1st Baron le Despencer, whom he succeeded in 1375. Royal intrigues A supporter of King Richard II against ...

, a supporter of another unpopular King,

Richard II of England Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Jo ...

, was beheaded for his part in the

Epiphany Rising The Epiphany Rising was a failed rebellion against King Henry IV of England in early January 1400. Background Richard II rewarded those who had supported him against Gloucester and the Lords Appellant with a plethora of new titles. Upon the usu ...

against King

Henry IV of England Henry IV ( – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (a son of King Edward III), and Blanche of Lancaster. Henry was involved in the 1388 ...

. Ashley Castle itself became a residence of the

Bishops of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' the offic ...

until the middle of the 15th century. It was eventually abandoned as a residence in about the 17th century. All retrievable stone was removed and re-used elsewhere.

Form

In its earliest form, the castle was an earth and timber

ringwork A ringwork is a form of fortified defensive structure, usually circular or oval in shape. Ringworks are essentially motte-and-bailey castles without the motte. Defences were usually earthworks in the form of a ditch and bank surrounding the site ...

fortification. The

was located on a spur of high ground and consisted of a banked rampart surrounded by a deep ditch, probably re-using the earlier Iron Age defences. A Great Hall and/or tower stood within the

. Extending westwards in a loop from the

was a second, outer bank enclosing a broadly rectangular court - the bailey - which contained all the ancillary domestic buildings associated with such a settlement. Both banks were surmounted by wooden palisades. Also located in the bailey was the parish church,

, which probably dates from the same period as the original castle (early 12th century). The church survives, long outliving the castle. The visible remains of the castle now consist of sections of the ditch and ramparts. The castle is typically Norman in the small size of the occupied area and the strength of its ramparts, and in having a bailey; its north-east part contains visible remains of foundations. The site, on private land, is a scheduled monument, protected by law.