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Situated on the banks of the
River Frome, Farleigh Hungerford Castle, was built by Sir Thomas de
Hungerford, as a show of strength, money and power.
At each corner of the castle
was a round tower and within the courtyard were many small
buildings. In typical 'castle style' - the castle had gatehouse and
a drawbridge over the top of a stone lined defensive ditch .
Sometime after 1426 Sit Walter
Hungerford enlarged the Outer Court, enclosing the parish church within
its walls. This church is still intact, displaying fine wall
paintings, effigies and stained glass. There is also a crypt are the
remains of some of the Hungerfords.
Due to financial difficulties,
the Hungerfords were forced to sell the castle in 1686, but in 1891
Baroness Hungerford, wife of Lord Donington bought it back, but it was
soon sold again, this time to Lord Cairns.
In 1915 Lord Cairns placed the
castle under the guardianship of the Commissioner of HM Works which then
passed on to English Heritage, who today maintain the castle and its
environs.
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Sir Thomas de Hungerford
From Heytesbury in Wiltshire,
Sir Thomas was the original builder of Farleigh Hungerford Castle.
Sir Thomas is generally recognised as the first elected Speaker of the
House of Commons (1377).
Upon his death he was buried in
the Chapel of St Anne in the parish chapel outside the castle. His
wife Joan died in c1412 and was buried beside him.
Sir Walter Hungerford
Like his father Sir Thomas, Sir
Walter was also Speaker of the House of Commons and in 1426 was admitted
to the House of Lords as Baron Hungerford.
Robert - the third Baron
Hungerford
Better known as Lord Moleyns,
it appears he engaged in private warfare against his neighbour and was
later captured at Chastillon and held prisoner in France for seven years
during the last battle of the Hundred Years War, Robert finally returned
to England and enlisted with the Lancastrians in the War of the
Roses. He was attainted in 1461 and executed in 1464.
Attainted
- to be found guilty of treason and executed without trial.
Thomas
Hungerford
Eldest
son of Robert was also attainted and executed in 1469.
Walter
Hungerford
In
1486 Farleigh Hungerford Castle was restored to the Hungerfords by Henry
V11. He died in 1516 and was buried at the castle.
Sir
Edward Hungerford
Sir
Edward married 3 times. Sir Edward died in 1522 and left his estate
to his widow, Agnes, but she was arrested and hanged at Tyburn in 1523 on
a charge of arranging the murder of her previous husband, John Cotell.
John Cotell was strangled and his remains burnt in the kitchen
furnace.
Walter
Hungerford
Created
Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury in 1536, Walter was also married 3
times. His third wife wrote to Thomas Cromwell and complained that
her husband had held her prisoner in one of the castles towers for over
three years and that he had attempted to poison her.. Lord
Hungerford was attainted and executed in 1540 for treason and unnatural
vice.
Sir
Walter Hungerford - The Knight of Farley
Repurchased
the castle in 1554 from Queen Mary. He accused his second wife of
adultery and attempted poisoning but the charges were dismissed.
Rather than pay the legal fees, he went to prison instead. He died
in 1596 believing that the estate would pass to his mistress, but instead
it was settled upon Lady Hungerford and when she died in 1603 the castle
passed to Edward - Sir Walters brother. Sir Edward died childless
and the estate passed to his great nephew Sir Edward Hungerford, son of
Sir Anthony Hungerford of Black Bourton and Lucy, daughter of the Knight
of Farley.
Sir
Edward Hungerford
He
commanded the local forces of Wiltshire for parliament in
1642-1645. He died in 1648 with a garrison installed in the
castle.
Other
notable Hungerfords
John
Hungerford - a royalist was put in charge of a garrison at Farleigh in
1644.
Anthony
Hungerford - also a royalist died at Farleigh in 1657.
Sir
Edward Hungerford - said to have entertained Charles II at
Farleigh in September 1683. Known as 'The
Spendthrift' it is said he wasted 80,000 pounds in capital and spent
around 14,000 pounds a year. He sold Farleigh in 1686 and died in
1711. |
