Nantwich Castle

No trace now remains above ground; excavations in 1978 near the Crown Inn uncovered terracing and two ditches, one or both of which possibly formed the castle's bailey.

[5] The only description, which dates from an 1818 history of the town by John Weld Platt, claims it was "square, surmounted at each angle with turrets.

An inquisition dated 15 May 1288 states that the castle passed to his eldest daughter, Philippa; this is the earliest documentary evidence of its existence.

The castle passed back to the Earl of Chester in the 13th century, when Philippa, Countess of Warwick, died without issue.

His grandson Thomas Praers alienated most of his lands, including the castle, to his neighbour John Gryffyn of Bartherton during his lifetime for the nominal rent of one rose annually.

[10] This act appears to have been contested as, on 16 May 1344, Edward, the Black Prince, Earl of Chester, wrote: Forasmuch as we have been given to understand that Thomas de Prayers of Bertonlegh in our County of Chester was a natural born fool and in his foolishness hath aliened and granted a part of his lands to the great damage of himself and ourselves wherefore we caused him to come before us to be examined and we caused him to be examined by the members of our council and others learned in the law, and upon such examination it was found that he is a man of sound memory and as such is sufficiently able to govern himself and his lands in a proper manner of which we are informed by those who have examinded into it.

[16] In 1978, excavations behind the Crown Inn by Robina McNeil Sale and others found evidence of terracing, perhaps representing a platform or mound.

Alternatively, it might form part of an earlier structure, perhaps the ditch mentioned in the Domesday survey as surrounding one side of the town's salt houses.