These pictures show the old soldiers barracks.
These are the things which make Thornbury castle look like it was built for defence:-
- Arrow stilts
- Gun loops
- Portcullis grooves
- crenellations
- machicolations
- army barracks
- moat
- massive court yard
Thornbury castle was no rugged castle; rather, a development of the highly decorative defensible palace. There was no doubt that Buckingham’s first concern was to build him self a splendid hideaway where he could live in luxury.
If you were building a castle in case of an attack, then why spend so much money on the castles features? Thornbury has much of the character of a 14th century castle. As you look at the south front you see a glamorous castle, big bay windows with lots of glass and thin stone between each piece of glass (which could easily be broken), glass was very expensive in Tudor times and only the rich could afford it. In an extract from ‘west country homes’ it says that
‘The south front contains two of the finest two-storied bay windows of this period’.
Each of the towers also has large windows if someone wanted to get in then it would be easy to break them and climb in side. This makes you think why is someone building a castle for defect spending so much money on glass? There also is a fine brick double chimney in the inner court dated back to 1514 which is very well decorated, this would have been very expensive to have made it is said to be
‘More elaborate than those at Hampton court’
The stone work for the defence also makes you question whether it was built for defence or for show. On the outside walls around the castle it wouldn’t have taken much to break the walls down the stone used and how it was built is ‘rubbish’, while the castle it’s self is well done and time has been taken. Around the top of the gateway there is craved stone which is the shields of his family, the Stafford Knot and the Bohun Swan, there also is an inscription:
‘Thys gate was begon in the yere of Lorde Gode MCCCCCXI. The ii yere of the reyne of Kynge Henri the VIII by me Edw Duc of Bukkyngha. Erll of Heforde Stafforde and Northampto.’
There are also signs of a galley which would have been wooden around the south front garden, we can see this because there are low windows around the outside walls and two doors into the castle it’s self. Under the galley there is a surrounded garden and flower gardens which when you get into makes you feel like you are in more of a palace than a defence castle.
‘It remains one of the most imposing Tudor structures in the area with its chimneys and windows being of considerable architectural significance’
Edward Stafford spent a lot of money on a building going to be used for defence! So I think he was trying to build a magnificent palace.
These are the things which make Thornbury castle look like it was built as a palace:-
- massive bay windows
- expensive chimney
- flower gardens
- lack of defence features
- sheer luxuries features
In 1855 the gate house of Thornbury Castle was restored but it has Victorian additions they use small crenellations for decoration & features showing off how grand the castle is, in a way I think this ruins the look of the gate house because it doesn’t fit in with the look and era of the original castle.
When Thornbury castle was being built in the 16th century people had really gives up on building castles (especially for defence) and had started building houses instead. These houses did keep some of the features of castles (e.g. some even had moats around them) but they weren’t building room for an army, so this makes you wonder why was Edward Stafford building enough room for his own private army? This makes Thornbury castle atypical of the time.
The group of castles that had been built around the same time as Thornbury castle some historians now call ‘Tudor Castle Palaces’ this is because they have features of being both a castle and a palace. They have defensive feature like moats but they have the luxury of a palace. There are three castles considered to be ‘Tudor Castle Palaces’ Thornbury Castle, Hampton Court and Richmond Palace
Richmond Palace was erected in 1501 by Henry 7th it was built on the site of the old Royal Residence of Sheen in surrey on the Thames, it was meant to be the largest most magnificent of his residences. The palace featured a lot of amazing windows (which historians believe that these windows were copied by Edward Stafford on Thornbury Castle.) I think that Richmond Palace was less of a defensive castle than Thornbury because Richmond was supposed to have had far les defensive features we can’t be sure though we have to go by written accounts at the time this is because today there is little left of the palace only the gate house and wardrobe court remain. Henry 8th lived at Richmond until Wolsey gave him Hampton Court Palace.
Hampton Court Palace, royal palace on the bank of the River Thames in south-west London. It was built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, chief minister to Henry VIII, and was presented by him to the king in 1525. This palace was being built around the same time Edward Stafford was building Thornbury castle; historians believe that Wolsey and Stafford were competing against each other to make the finest palace. It is said that Hampton Court
‘Is architecturally the finest palace which the British Crown posses’
The house was nothing short of a palace it was reputed to have 1000 rooms and apartments for 280 guests; Venteian ambassador reported that one had;
‘To traverse eight rooms’
I think Hampton court was also built more for show and luxury than as a defence against attack unlike Thornbury castle, where there is a lot more features of defence.
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, was a political rival of Henry 8th of England. The eldest son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Edward Stafford inherited his father's title when Henry 8th became king in 1485. Buckingham had all the characteristics and leanings of an olds-style great baron, he believed himself capable of defying the king, and getting away with it. Buckingham owned very large estates, he owned the manor of Thornbury, Penshurst in Kent, and he owned town house in London and Calais. He also owned manors and land in 24 countries. If Buckingham was convicted of high treason this all would be forfeited to the king. Under Henry 8th Buckingham became a privy counselor and Lord high constable, but because he had a claim to the throne as a descendant of Edward 3rd, Henry regarded him as a potential threat. This would have been no real great problem except Henry 8th had no male heir. If his daughter Mary had died, or if the country had refused to accept a queen as ruler, then Buckingham was probably next in line for the throne. He laid himself open to attack by consulting an astrologer who predicted that he would be king one day. Buckingham derided the king and Wolsey in his household.
‘It would do well enough if the nobleman durst break their minds together, but some of them mistrusth …and that marreth all; so that there is no remedy for us but to suffer till that a convenient time may come’
Henry ordered that that no one was allowed to own their own private army but in Thornbury castle he was building a barracks which could house his own army. Buckingham had taken an armed force with him to collect rents in Wales, in spite of being refused permission by the king. This was interpreted as preparation for a rebellion against the king; but the truth was though that it seemed that Buckingham treated his tenants so badly that it was the only way to get his rents. Having also aroused the enmity of Henry's chief minister, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey an upstart butcher’s son, Buckingham was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London in April 1521. Buckingham & his supporters, and nearly all the people, were convinced that it was Wolsey who had been responsible for his arrest, but the examination of Buckingham was conducted by Henry himself. He was convicted of plotting against the king and beheaded the following month, so Thornbury castle was never finished.
This picture shows
That Thornbury
castle was never
finished.
I have decided that I think Thornbury castle was built as a palace, this is because if Buckingham was building a castle in case of an attack from his welsh tenants then why did he spend so much money on decorative features such as windows and the ornamental chimney? Looking at the
‘South range reveals the defensive limitations of the castle, because here martial pretensions were abandoned in favour of luxury.’
With the big bay windows and ornamental brick chimney shows that Buckingham has chose luxury over defence. If he was building a castle for defence then his first concern was to build him self his impressive palace while providing an imposing effect using thing like crenellations as defensive decorations,
‘There can be no doubt that Buckingham’s first concern was to build a magnificent retreat where he could live in style and comfort.’
‘Although incapable of serious defence (in spite of gun ports) we are certainly dealing with a chateau, even if a manor in English, although in fact in this case ‘castle’ has been kept in the title’
In the second quotation it is saying that Thornbury castle is nothing more than a decorated manor which I agree with, I personal think that Buckingham wanted to compete with Wolsey trying to build the most luxurious palace in England. Also if you were building a castle for the purpose of serious defence then you wouldn’t build it next to the church making an obvious weakness.
In contrast to that some historians though believe that Thornbury was the
‘Last genuine castle’
“The last English castle to be built with a serious purpose of defence”
This quote was written by W. Douglas-Simpson I don’t agree with this because buildings like Deal castle were built after Thornbury started being built in the 1540’s and this fort was built by Henry VIII were built in case of possible intrusions of other European powers faithful to Rome after Henry turned his back on the catholic religion.
After looking at whether Thornbury castle was built as a palace or a castle for defence I have decided that Thornbury castle was built as a palace.