Fotheringhay Castle

In January the following year, it was briefly captured by William II de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle, in his rebellion against King Henry III.

Forz abandoned the castle, Henry III took it under his control, and Fotheringhay remained in royal hands until the reign of Edward II.

[2] Around 1090, she married Simon de Senlis who was made Earl of Huntingdon,[3] and about 1100 he founded Fotheringhay Castle, on the northern side of the River Nene.

When David died in June 1219, the Earl of Pembroke still held Fotheringhay despite King Henry III of England's wish for its return.

[12] According to the Barnwell chronicler, Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent, was given custody of Fotheringhay Castle in 1221 when he married the King of Scotland's sister.

[13] William II de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle, rebelled against Henry III late in 1220, and in January the following year captured Fotheringhay Castle, installing his own garrison.

[5][14] According to a royal letter he "furtively and seditiously seized the castle of Fotheringhay ... devastating and plundering our land and violently disturbing and infringing our peace and that of our kingdom".

[15] Faced with a massing royal army, Forz fled north and Henry III took Fotheringhay and Castle Bytham.

When John died in 1334, his niece Marie de St Pol, the widowed countess of Pembroke, inherited Fotheringhay Castle.

[18] On 27 March 1454, Richard, Duke of York was named "protector and defender of the realm" while King Henry VI was suffering from mental illness and remained in the position until 9 February 1455.

[18] On 11 June 1482, the Scottish prince, Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany made a treaty at the castle with Edward IV of England to supplant his brother on the throne of Scotland.

[23] After waiting over two months for Elizabeth to officially sign her death warrant, Mary was told the sentence would be carried out the day before her execution.

Fotheringhay is open to the public during daylight hours and provides good views along the Nene valley demonstrating well its defensive position.

Little is known about the structural history of the castle while Langley was the owner in the 14th century;[26] however, it is thought that he was responsible for building the outer bailey and partially filling the eastern part of the ditch surrounding the motte.