Benington Castle is a

ruined Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

castle in the village of Benington, near Stevenage in Hertfordshire, England at . It has been protected since 1936 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 ...

. A

motte-and-bailey castle 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, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy t ...

was built in the late 11th or early 12th century, founded by

Peter de Valognes Peter de Valognes (1045-1110) was a Norman noble who became a great landowner in England following the Norman Conquest. Land holdings Between 1070 and 1076 Peter de Valognes was granted lands in the six counties of Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshir ...

. In 1136,

Roger de Valognes Roger de Valognes (died c. 1141–42) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman who held lands around Benington in Hertfordshire, a tenure that made Roger the feudal baron of Benington. In 1136 he was a supporter of King Stephen of England's seizure of the E ...

built a stone castle with a keep. In 1177, King Henry II ordered that the tower be demolished (

slighted Slighting is the deliberate damage of high-status buildings to reduce their value as military, administrative or social structures. This destruction of property sometimes extended to the contents of buildings and the surrounding landscape. It is ...

). According to historian

Sidney Painter Sidney Painter (September 23, 1902 – January 12, 1960) was an American medievalist and historian. He was a fellow of the Mediaeval Academy and professor of history and chairman of the department of history at Johns Hopkins University. Painte ...

it was one of at least 21 castles slighted on the orders of Henry II. In 1192 the castle was in use again. It was finally destroyed in 1212, after

Robert Fitzwalter Robert FitzwalterAlso spelled Fitzwater, FitzWalter, fitzWalter, etc. (died 9 December 1235) was one of the leaders of the baronial opposition against King John, and one of the twenty-five sureties of ''Magna Carta''. He was feudal baron of Lit ...

rebelled against King John. Only the foundations of the keep and some earthworks now remain from the original structure.

Benington Lordship

The site of the castle has been modified by the construction of a Georgian house, Benington Lordship, and the landscaping of its gardens. In 1832, George Proctor added a neo-Norman gatehouse, summerhouse and curtain wall.

Gardens

The park and gardens of Benington Lordship are listed as Grade II on the

Register of Parks and Gardens The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by Historic England ...

. The gardens occupy 7 acres and have been praised by the gardening correspondent of the ''Financial Times''. A stream which has been dammed appears to have formed part of the medieval defences, but its present appearance is the result of later landscaping.

St Peter's Church

The nearby medieval church of St Peter is also set within a bailey, but it is not included within the boundaries of the ancient monument as defined by Historic England. The church is protected by its own heritage listing (Grade I).

Access

The castle is in the grounds of Benington Lordship, which is privately owned. Public access is provided on a limited basis, for example under the auspices of the

National Gardens Scheme The National Garden Scheme opens privately owned gardens in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Channel Islands on selected dates for charity. It was founded in 1927 with the aim of "opening gardens of quality, character and interest to th ...

References

*Fry, Plantagenet Somerset, ''The David & Charles Book of Castles'', David & Charles, 1980. {{Authority control Castles in Hertfordshire Scheduled monuments in Hertfordshire Grade I listed buildings in Hertfordshire Motte-and-bailey castles Ruined castles in England Ruins in Hertfordshire Grade I listed ruins De Valognes family Benington, Hertfordshire