Bourne Castle

The manor of Bourne passed into the hands of Ralph, Son of Oger, thence onto William and Richard Du Rullos (c1114).

At some point in its early life the castle transitioned into a motte and Bailey and built from timber.

In 1356 a couple from Irnham, Luttrell and Despenser were married at the chapel within the castle grounds.

Something drastic had happened in Bourne after 1380 because in 1443 it is recorded that over 140 messages lay in waste snd ruinous.

By the mid 1500s William Cecil, treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, is in possession of the manor of Bourne.

Traces of the enclosed mound and inner and outer moats (forming part of the Bourne Eau) are all that now survive, although a resistivity survey by Charles Hobbit in 2006 , and a far greater survey initiated by local historian Steven Giullari in 2021 shows the footprint of the castle which can also be seen during long spells of extremely hot weather.

There are other mentions of Bourne Castle throughout its history including the IPM (Inquisition Post Mortem) and the Close Rolls.