Barnwell Castle

Built during the reign of King Henry III by Berenger Le Moyne this elegant, large rectangular castle near Oundle was encased by a high curtain wall flanked by huge two storey towers, its walls being over 12 feet thick. During the English Civil War it was used by its owner, Sir Edward Montagu, as an arsenal for the Royal cause. After the Civil War, the Montagu family built a substantial manor house, Barnwell Manor, near the castle. That branch of the family which became the Earls of Peterborough are commemorated in the village church in a series of fine tombs (see Churches section of this website; All Saints, Barnwell). The castle remains a private residence.