Sauvey Castle

The first records of Sauvey Castle date around 1216, during the First Barons' War, when the government of the young Henry III ordered the royal castle to be surrendered to William de Fors, the Count of Aumale. The count established a power base in the region, but in 1218 William Marshal, the regent, ordered him to return it to the Crown; the count declined. Further demands followed until, in 1220, royal forces besieged and took the count's castle at nearby Rockingham. The castle was occupied by royal foresters during the 13th century, usually the keepers of Leighfield, and the castle carried with it the rights to the neighbouring manor of Withcote. In the mid-13th century, the castle…

Historians are divided as to when Sauvey Castle was constructed; most suggest that it was built by King John in 1211 when he acquired the surrounding lands, although some sources argue it was built during the reign of King Stephen, between 1135 and 1153. The castle was located in a secluded part of Leighfield Forest, part of the wider Forest of Rockingham, and, if built by John, was intended for use as a hunting lodge. Its name in Norman French was Salveé, meaning "dark island". The castle lies on raised ground along a valley, with two tributaries of the River Chater running past it to the north and south. It comprises an oval enclosure 60 by across, variously described as a shell keep or a…