Bengeworth Castle was a fortification in Bengeworth, Worcestershire, that operated during the middle of the 12th century.
History
In the early 12th century, much of Worcestershire was controlled by the Beauchamp family, who based themselves at their caput at Elmley. Bengeworth was an estate just to the east of Evesham, linked by a bridge, and was owned by a combination of the Abbots of Evesham and the Sheriffs of Worcester, although there had been considerable legal disputes over this arrangement.
The Beauchamps became the Sheriffs of Worcester, and during the civil war of the 1140s his son, Walter, built Bengeworth Castle to protect the bridge, just to the north-east of it, and probably protected on one side by the River Avon, which fed parts of its moat. According to Church chronicles, he then used this as a base for raiding the Abbot’s lands. In response, Abbot William apparently attacked and took Bengeworth Castle, destroying the fortification.
In 1268, the Beauchamps inherited the Earldom of Warwick, giving them a powerful role in national politics. They moved their caput from Elmley to Warwick, and gave Bengeworth Castle to the Abbey the same year, settling the long-running dispute.
The site of the fortification was known as “the castle” at least until the 19th century, when the moat could still be made out. In the 21st century, nothing remains of the fortification above ground.
Bibliography
- Emery, Anthony. (2000) Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, Volume 2: East Anglia, Central England and Wales. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK
- May, George. (1845). A Descriptive History of the Town of Evesham. George May: Evesham, UK.
- Page, William and J. W. Willis-Bund (eds). (1906) Victoria County History: Worcestershire, Volume 2. Archibald Constable: London, UK.
Attribution
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