Luton Court House (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Falkes de Breautes castle; Lutune

In the civil parish of Luton.
In the historic county of Bedfordshire.
Modern Authority of Luton.
1974 county of Bedfordshire.
Medieval County of Bedfordshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: TL09602104
Latitude 51.87793° Longitude -0.40957°

Luton Court House has been described as a probable Timber Castle, and also as a certain Fortified Manor House.

There are no visible remains.

Description

The probable site of a castle built in 1221 by Faulke de Breaute. Documents from the Assize at Dunstable in 1224 record that he was said to have dammed the river unlawfully, presumably for the moat around the castle, resulting in flooding to surrounding property. The castle seems to have covered most of the area between St Mary's Church to the north and Lea Road to the south, with the River Lea at its eastern end and St Ann's Road to the west. The castle was subsequently demolished and the Court House built in the southern corner of its former area. This was a moated house, probably reusing part of the castle moat, which was apparently still extant in 1611.
'Investigations within the University of Bedfordshire's Park Square Campus in Luton revealed features dating to the medieval and post-medieval periods, the most prominent being part of the moat of Fulk de Breauté's early 13th century castle. The partial footprint of a large timber-framed building, broadly dating to the 12th-13th centuries was revealed within the moated enclosure. Other medieval features included two refuse pits located outside the moated enclsoure. Though historically termed a 'castle', the moated site was also a manorial centre - a court house was documented on the site until the early 17th century. The moat was still at least partially open during the post-medieval period when its fills appear to have largely been quarried away and a well and pit, likely to be associated with the backyards of properties fronting onto Park Street, were in use. (Beds HER)

Comments

Salter writes this might be Someries though the description of flooding would make this impossible.
Petre reports "archaeological investigation showed that a substantial motte and moat survived in part into the nineteenth century." If this motte was built in 1221 then this is a late example of motte building in England, although mottes were being built in Ireland at this sort of date. did the excavations exclude the possibility this was a castle of earlier date and that de Breaute was extending existing defences in 1221?

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 359708.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 185.

Books
- Petre, James Scott, 2012, The Castles of Bedfordshire (Lavenham: Lavenham Press for Shaun Tyas) p. 67
  Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 14
  Godber, J., 1969, History of Bedfordshire (Bedford) p. 58
  James Dyer, Frank Stygall and John Dony, 1964, The Story of Luton (Luton: White Crescent Press) p. 63-4
  Austin, W., 1928, History of Luton Vol. 1 p. 101-2
  Davis, F., 1855, History of Luton p. 7-8 map p. 144
Periodical Articles
- Woodley, N.C. and Abrams, J., (forthcoming), 'Inside Fulk de Bréauté's Thiteenth-Century Castle' Bedfordshire Archaeology Vol. 27
  Streatfeild-James, J. and Abrams, J., (forthcoming), 'A bridge to Castra Finitima', further excavations on the site of Fulk de Breaute's Castle' Bedfordshire Archaeology Vol. 27
  Streatfield-James, Jake, 'Fulk de Breaute's 13th-century castle in Luton' Medieval Archaeology Newsletter Issue 53 p. 4
  Abrams, J. and Shotcliff, D., 2010, 'The Remains of Robert de Waudari's Adulterine Castle, Castle Street, Luton' Bedfordshire Archaeology Vol. 26 p. 390, 401
  Baker, D., 1982, 'Mottes, Moats and ringworks in Bedfordshire: Beauchamp Wadmore revisited' Château Gaillard Vol. 9-10 p. 35-54
  Dyer, J.F., 1962-3, 'Bedfordshire Earthworks VIII, The Castles: Part One' Bedfordshire magazine Vol. 8 no. 63 p. 350
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Luard, H.R (ed), 1866, 'Annales Prioratus de Dunstaplia' in Annales Monastici (London: Longman Rolls Series 36) Vol. 3 p. 66 online copy
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Keir, W. and Turner, I., 2012, 4 Lea Road, Luton: Archaeological Excavation, Recording, Analysis and Publicatio (Albion Archaeology) online copy
  Turner, Ian and Wardill, R., 2009, Land at the University of Bedfordshire, Park Square, Luton: Archaeological Trial Trenching (Albion Archaeology) online copy
  Riccoboni, P., 2008, Land at Vicarage Street, Luton, Bedfordshire (Site A). Portslade (Archaeology South East) online copy
  Albion Archaeology, 2003 (edited January 2005), Extensive Urban Survey - Bedfordshire and Luton (Bedfordshire County Council and English Heritage) Download copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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