Bottreaux Castle (pronounced "Botro"), colloquially known as The Courte during the time

John Leyland John Leland or Leyland (13 September, – 18 April 1552) was an English poet and antiquary.Carley (2006), "Leland, John (''ca''. 1503–1552)" Leland has been described as "the father of English local history and bibliography". His ''Iti ...

visited, is a ruined

motte and bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortification ...

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in Boscastle, England. It was originally built in the 12th century and only earthworks remain today.

History

Bottreaux Castle was likely built sometime between 1154 and 1189 (during the reign of Henry II) by Sir William des Bottreaux, and it was anciently in the possession of the de Botreaux family, which became under William de Botreaux (1337–91) the

Barons Botreaux Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

; the castle does not actually appear in records until the 13th century. The last member of the Bottreaux family died in 1462, and the castle soon fell into decay. In 1478,

William Worcester William Worcester, also called William of Worcester, William Worcestre or William Botoner (1415) was an English topographer, antiquary and chronicler. Life He was a son of another William of Worcester, a Bristol whittawer (worker in white leather ...

mentioned Bottreaux Castle only as a

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

visited the castle in 1538, but the castle was likely demolished before he visited; he commented on the ruins, calling them "''far unworthie the name of a castel; the people there, call it the Courte.''" In , Richard Carew noted that it was once used as a unisex prison. He wrote: "''The first place which heere offreth itselfe to sight, is Bottreaux Castle, seated on a bad harbour of the North sea, & suburbed with a poore market town, yet entitling the owner in times past, with the stile of a Baron, from whom, by match it descended to the L. Hungerford, & 21resteth in the Earle of Huntingdon. The diuersified roomes of a prison, in the Castle, for both sexes, better preserued by the Inhabitants memorie, then descerneable by their owne endurance, shew the same, heeretofore to haue exercised some large iurisdiction.''" The castle was in ruins by 1769 and an 1852 survey by Maclaughlan found that although some walls were visible, only about half of the motte was visible. The current site of the castle sits on a steep spur overlooking the

River Jordan The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...

in a public park and a

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

is present on the site of the castle. It was designated as a

Scheduled Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

on April 22, 1974.

References

{{reflist Castles in Cornwall Buildings and structures completed in the 12th century