Tutbury Castle

-1068

Hugh d’Avranches built a Castle after obtaining land from William I. The Castle was a motte and bailey structure made of earth and timber.

-1071

Henry de Ferrers acquired Tutbury Castle from William I after d’Avranches exchanged it for Earldom of Chester. It was during this period that the first recording of the Castle was made.

-1086

Tutbury Castle became the largest building in Staffordshire during the Domesday survey. It was also the official residence of the Ferrers family.

-1138

King Stephen granted Robert de Ferrers the title of the first Earl of Derby after his triumph in the Battle of the Standards. Due to the family’s increasing prominence, they replaced the wooden top motte with a stone keep.

-1153

There was a civil war (Anarchy) between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. Henry Anjou (later became Henry II), Matilda’s son, attacked Tutbury Castle due to King Stephen’s Ferrers’ support.

-1173

Another attack by Henry’s forces occurred when the army of Rhys ap Gruffydd (Prince of Deheubarth) besieged the Castle. William de Ferrers, the then owner of Tutbury Castle, supported the King’s son, who had rebelled against their father (King Henry II).

The rebels were defeated, and the Castle was destroyed partially.

-1264

The Ferrers participated in the Second Barons War. They rebelled against Henry III and supported Simon de Montfort, who aimed at ousting King Henry III. Lord Edward (later became Edward I) attacked Tutbury Castle on behalf of his father, King Henry III.

Therefore, the Castle suffered damage again as the rebels were defeated.

-1266

King Henry III captured Tutbury Castle and offered it to his son Edmund, the Earl of Lancaster. Edmund repaired the Castle, and it became part of the Lancaster estate.

-1298

Edmund or his son Thomas remodelled and upgraded Tutbury Castle. They built a new gateway and upgraded the curtain wall. They also added a garden, a fish pond, a meadow, and a vineyard. The Castle eventually became Thomas’ main residence between 1304 and 1319 when he constructed a tower over the gateway.

-1322

Thomas collaborated with the Earl of Warwick to have Piers Gaveston arrested and executed. In response to this, King Edward II fought against Thomas and defeated him in the Battle of Burton Bridge.

-1326

Thomas of Lancaster was arrested and executed at Pontefract Castle. Henry, Earl of Lancaster (Thomas’ younger brother), regained ownership of Tutbury Castle.

Upon Henry’s death, his son Henry de Grosmont inherited Tutbury Castle in 1345.

-1351

Henry of Grosmont became the first Duke of Lancaster after an elevation of the Earldom to Dukedom. Henry’s daughter, Blanche, married John of Gaunt, Edward III’s third son. John of Gaunt inherited Tutbury Castle, repaired and visited it regularly.

-1399

After John’s death, Robert II attempted to dispossess Henry Bolingbroke (John de Gaunt’s son) of Tutbury Castle. However, he failed, and Henry took over the Crown and Tutbury Castle.

Henry Bolingbroke, the Earl of Derby, the Duchy of Lancaster, and Tutbury Castle became part of the Crown. He also became King Henry IV.

-1449

King Henry VI granted Tutbury Castle to his wife, Queen Margaret of Anjou, as part of their marriage settlement. A new tower was added to the Castle during Queen Margaret’s occupancy.

However, between 1461 and 1480 (after Queen Margaret’s occupancy), some buildings were on the verge of falling.

-1511

King Henry VIII visited Tutbury Castle after King Henry VII had replaced several buildings and set up a garden. A survey in 1523 revealed that most buildings were in a deplorable situation. However, repairing took place between 1561 and 1566.

-1559

It marked the onset of a famous period (Elizabethan era) when Tutbury Castle became a prison. Mary, Queen of Scots, had been in constant disputes with Queen Elizabeth and been a prisoner and refugee in several castles.

Mary, Queen of Scots, moved to Tutbury Castle in 1559 after criticism erupted about how Henry Scrope (her jailer) treated her fairly. Therefore, Sir Francis Knollys became Mary’s new gaoler.

She complained of unpleasant conditions, including cold, dampness, and unfit carpentry. George, Earl of Shrewsbury, became Mary’s gaoler and transferred her to Wingfield Manor.

-1570

Mary, Queen of Scots, returned to Tutbury Castle after the suppression of a pro-catholic rebellion. In the next fifteen years, she was transferred to different locations, including Tutbury Castle. Her worst experience was in 1585 when Sir Amyas Paulet, a Puritan, took charge of her custody.

-1587

Following her participation in the Babington Conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth, Mary was tried and executed at Fotheringhay Castle.

-1619

Though the Castle’s structure had dilapidated, James I (son to Mary, Queen of Scots) resided there from 1619 to 1624. However, it was repaired and held for the King during the Civil War.

-1643

Parliamentary Troops attempted to besiege Tutbury Castle but failed. However, in 1646, the troops dislodged the Castle after the garrisons surrendered.

-1647

Parliament ordered slighting of the Castle to prevent further use as a fortress. However, this was a partial demolition, and some parts were repaired later.

-1780

Lord Vernon of Sudbury added a folly to the motte and used Tutbury Castle as a farm. From 1952, the Castle was no longer utilised as a farm, and the Smith family leased it from1999 to 2000. After the rediscovery of the Great Hall, Tutbury Castle was then open for public visits.