Tamworth
 Castles |
Sitting
astride the famous Roman Watling Street, Tamworth, despite its bustling
modernity enjoys a fascinating and turbulent history. The town is first
referred to in the 8 th century AD when it held the prestigious
position of capital of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia. Here it was that
King Offa built his palace. Danish sea raiders twice destroyed the Saxon
capital and it was later invaded by Scandinavians who left their mark
upon the town, as seen in street names such as Gungate. In AD913
Aetheflaed (Ethelfleda), King Alfred's daughter established a fortress
on the site, part of which has been excavated; this fortress enclosed
the entire Saxon township.
Dominating
Tamworth today is the fine Norman motte and bailey castle set in the
Pleasure Grounds, where beautifully coloured floral terraces cascade
down from the splendid castle. Tamworth Castle stands high on a steeply
inclined artificial mound in the town centre, at the confluence of the
Rivers Tame and Anker. Typical in construction of other Norman motte and
bailey castles it dates from the 1180's, having replaced the original
wooden defensive tower. It was William the Conqueror's Royal Champion,
Robert de Marmion, who built the castle on part of the site of the
fortress erected by Ethelfleda. The castle was rebuilt of sandstone
during the 12 th century and today all that remains of de Marmion's
castle are the keep, tower and stretches of herringbone curtain wall.
The
Norman polygonal keep has the unusual addition of a square tower set
into its walls on the East Side. Down the centuries various owners have
made numerous alterations and additions to the structure, these include
the early 15 th century Banqueting Hall, the Tudor Warden's Lodge and
the early 17 th century South Wing. The Jacobean apartments are
decorated with intricate woodwork and a fine heraldic frieze, while the
Castle Museum houses models of Tamworth's Saxon fortifications and
includes examples of ancient silver pennies from the Tamworth Mint. The
Castle was purchased from the Marquess of Townsend by Tamworth
Corporation in 1897 and opened to the public in 1899.
A
Saxon nun, Editha, is purported to haunt Tamworth Castle, for it is
said that when Robert de Marmion took possession of his lands he
expelled the nuns from a nearby convent. The order had been founded by
Editha in the 9 th century and the expelled nuns summoned her spirit
from the grave. Editha supposedly attacked de Marmion in his bedroom and
as a result of her severe beating he restored the nuns to their
convent, now a wiser man. The Parish Church of St Editha, founded in
AD963, is a vast structure that was rebuilt after the Norman Conquest of
1066; it again underwent reconstruction when the Great Fire of Tamworth
destroyed much of it in 1345. The marvellous 15 th century tower at the
West End contains a most remarkable double staircase, while the mixture
of Victorian and modern stained glass found within blends together
surprisingly well.
The
noted writer Daniel Defoe remarked upon Tamworth as "a small but very
handsome market town", and despite much having disappeared since his
time there still remains some remarkably attractive 18 th century
buildings in Market Street and Lady Bank. Built in 1701, the Town hall
is a charming structure displaying open arches with Tuscan columns
below. The building was financed by Thomas Guy, the local Member of
Parliament, more famous as the founder of the London hospital bearing
his name. Tamworth's other famous son was Sir Robert Peel, Prime
Minister under both William IV and Queen Victoria. In 1834 Robert Peel
made a pre-election speech to his constituents in which he outlined his
plans for political reform - known as the Tamworth Manifesto it was the
forerunner of modern electioneering addresses. Fronting the Town hall is
a goodly bronze statue of Peel.
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