WEDDINGTON CASTLE - An Online History
CASTLE HISTORY
Introduction
In chronicling the history of a place – especially one such as Weddington Castle
which no longer physically exists – one has to make some careful choices. The
history of such a building is so much more than just the bricks and mortar. The
people, contemporary events (both local and national) and indeed the surviving
information associated with the building; all of these shape one’s understanding of
its history.
As such there can never be a single ‘authoritative’ history of a place like Weddington Castle. It will inevitably be shaped by the way certain information
is presented, by the chronicler’s own
outlook and views, and by the nature of what
information is still available down the years - often history says as much about the
present day as past times. As such (and in order to aid navigation), the history of Weddington
Castle has been separated into key periods, each of which can be accessed by
clicking the links below. In each of these sections I have tried to cover not
only the history of the Castle itself, but also the wider historical context of
the times:
Early Weddington: 1000 – 1100AD
Developing the Manor: 1100 – 1300AD
Weddington in decline: The Black Death 1300 – 1500AD
Times of change: Reformation and Civil War: 1500 – 1700AD
The March of Progress: 1700 – 1800AD
Developing the Castle: 1800 – 1900AD
The First World War and Weddington Castle as a Red Cross Hospital: 1900 – 1918AD
The End of the Castle: Decline and Demolition 1918 – 1928AD
After the Castle: Historical echoes 1928 – present day
