Bottereaux Castle, Boscastle

Description

The traditional site of Bottreaux Castle is situated at the end of a steeply sloping spur and overlooks a deep valley (one of two that lead from Boscastle). The "Castle" presumably stood on the level site now occupied by a cottage and garden (SX 09949081). It was probably isolated from the high ground to the south by a ditch across the spur but all trace of this is now effaced by the dwellings and garden in Fore Street. The surviving earthworks to the north are somewhat enigmatic. The steep, natural slopes of the spur have been scarped approximately 10.0m below the top to form a crescentic terrace (or a now silted ditch) up to 6.0m wide. An inturned entrance cuts into this terrace but its purpose is obscure as there is apparently no access from here to the spur top. The evidence of scarping ends abruptly on the west and east sides of the spur and gives way instead to steep natural slopes. (PastScape–ref. Field Investigators Comments F1 MJF 14-JUL-76)

The manor, honor, and borough of Bottreaux castle, now called Boscastle, and the manor of Worthyvale, were among the ancient possessions of the baronial family of Botterell or Bottreaux, who were settled here as early as the reign of Henry II. William Botterell, and his younger brother Reginald, were both among the rebel barons in arms against King Henry III.: with the exception of Reginald, who succeeded his elder brother in the possession of this honor, the ten successive owners were all Williams. William Lord Bottreaux, the last of the family, was killed at the battle of St. Albans, in 1462, leaving an only daughter, married to Sir Robert Hungerford: the principal residence of this ancient family was at the castle called after their name, of which the mount only now remains. Leland speaks of the manorplace as a thing of small reputation, "far unworthie the name of a castel; the people there," says he, "call it the court." Carew says, "the diversified rooms of a prison in the castle, for both sexes, better preserved by the inhabitants memorie than discernible by their own endurance, show the same heretofore to have exercised some large jurisdiction." It is probable that the castle had been taken down before Leland's time. (Lysons)