Fotheringhay Castle Site

Georgia WalesDays Out, Heritage

Fotheringhay Castle Site

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A high Middle Age Norman motte-and-bailey castle.

Fotheringhay Moorings, Caravan and Camping Site

Fotheringhay Castle Site

About Fotheringhay Castle Site

Fotheringhay Castle was a typical Norman motte and bailey, with a conical mound encircled by a protective bank and ditches, and topped by a timber keep. The castle would have been approached through a wide enclosure (the bailey) where secondary buildings such as stables and workshops stood. The castle is most famous for being the final site of Mary Queen of Scott’s imprisonment, trial, and subsequent execution in 1588.

The castle was, at this time, used as a state prison due to being set in a marshy landscape, meaning the condemned Scottish queen was more securely imprisoned. Richard III was born at the castle in 1452. This Norman motte and bailey castle is now a ruin and is protected as a Scheduled Monument. Open to the public to view.

How to get here

Fotheringhay, Peterborough, PE8 5HZ