Fortified manor house or Castle, built circa 1345, and partly remodelled by the Earl of Stafford a century later. The surviving remains consist of a restored Medieval gatehouse, curtain wall and angle towers. A range of buildings dating from C15-C19 are enclosed within the walls. the surrounding water filled moat measures 110m north to south by 100m transversely. The steep-sided arms average 20m in width. The entrance is over the east arm. Sir William Clinton obtained licence to crenellate in 1345. The castle was built on a new site and a completely new layout was possible, and a perfectly symmetrical planned building was the result. It is rectangular, measuring about 55m from N-S and about 49m E-W. At each angle there is an octagonal tower 9m across, and in the centre of the E side is a gatehouse (PRN 351). The main building, of which part of the original walls still remain in the modern residence, was along the W side, and on the N and S there were subsidiary buildings, the evidence for which is to be seen in the corbels and other features on the main wall. Castle partly remodelled by the Earl of Stafford a century after its construction. A private residence maintained in excellent order. The castle has survived intact and the fabric has been skilfully restored so that it presents an outstanding example of its period.

View a higher resolution map

Name	Maxstoke Castle
Alternative Names	Maxstok
Historic County	Warwickshire
Civil Parish	Maxstoke
Type	Masonry Castle
Confidence	Certain
Remains	Major
Listed	Grade 1
Scheduled Ancient Monument	Yes
Ordnance Survey Reference	SP223891
Eastings	422390
Northing	289100
Images of England Reference	309007
PastScape Reference	334084
Historic Environment Record	349

Multi Map

StreetMaps

Books

• Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p415-21
• Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p259-61 [plan]
• Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p62-3
• Salter, Mike, 1992, Castles and Moated Mansions of Warwickshire (Malvern) p40-1
• King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p483
• Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p259
• Eric Mercer, 1975, English vernacular houses: a study of traditional farmhouses and cottages p214-5
• Pevsner, Nikolaus and Wedgwood, Alexandra, 1966, The buildings of England: Warwickshire p348-9
• Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1947, VCH Warwickshire Vol4 p14, 133-6 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42669
• Braun, Hugh, 1936, The English castle (Batsford) p95-6
• Tipping, H.A., 1921, English Homes, period 1 Vol1 (London) p220-38
• Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
• Andrews, 1908, in Dryden, Memories of Old Warwickshire (London) p238-40
• Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p390-2
• Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p241, 414
• Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1853, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol2 p246-8
• Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p301
• Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol8 p138-40

Antiquarian

• William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/warkseng.html#warks11]

Journals

• Hislop, M.J.B., 1993, 'Master John of Burcestre and the Castles of Stafford and Maxstoke' Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol33 p14-20
• Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p319
• Alcock, N.W., Faulkner, P,A. and Jones, S., 1978, ‘Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire' Archaeological Journal Vol135 p195-233 [illus]
• Binney, M., 1974 April 11, 18, 'Maxstoke Castle' Country Life
• Fetherston-Dilke, C.B., 1972, 'Maxstoke Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol128 p244-5
• Chatwin, P.B., 1947-8, 'Castles in Warwickshire' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol67 p29
• 1920, Country Life Vol67 p140-7, 170-8
• 1906, Country Life Vol19 p54-65

Guidebooks

• Fetherston-Dilke, C.B. and M.C., n.d. [post 1990], A Short History of Maxstoke Castle and its Owners (privately published)

Primary Sources

• Calendar of Patent Rolls (1343-45) p444
• Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p455