The fates and fortunes of Dudley Castle

Dudley Castle was constructed by Ansculf of Picquigny (Normandy) in 1070 and first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. It was held by various Lords of the Manor until the 1960s. During the 12th century the Paganel family became Lords of Dudley, with the future King of England, Henry II, staying there in 1153.

The de Somery family gained the Dudley estates through the marriage of Hawyse de Paganel to John de Somery. Documentary references to the de Somery family are scarce until the Baron's Revolt against King Henry III in 1264, when Roger de Somery's support for the king allowed him to refortify Dudley Castle.

In 1327 John de Sutton inherited the family estates of his wife, Margaret de Somery, following imprisonment in the Tower of London.

There followed a succession of de Sutton lords, all named John. In 1432, John de Sutton VI held the lieutenancy of Ireland, and died in 1487 after a long and most distinguished career.

John de Sutton VII succeeded to the estate in 1532, but unfortunately, was forced to sell his titles to a member of the junior line of the family, John Dudley, son of Edmund Dudley who was economic advisor to Henry VII, and who was executed by Henry VIII.

His father's death did not deter John Dudley from entering the service of Henry VIII and he rapidly rose through prominence, obtaining the titles of Viscount Lisle and Duke of Northumberland.

He embarked on a building programme at Dudley Castle which resulted in the Sharrington Range, named after his architect.

On the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and the accession of his son Edward VI, John Dudley became the protector of the young king.

The reign was short and in 1553 Edward's death left the throne open to the accession of Henry's eldest daughter, Mary.

With her strong adherence to the Catholic faith her accession posed a threat to Henry�s religious reformation, and the new found wealth of those who had supported it.

John Dudley attempted to prevent this by conspiring to place his daughter in law, Lady Jane Grey, on the throne. Her claim was slight and the plot rapidly foundered. John was forced to surrender himself to the mercy of Mary.

This was not forthcoming and he, his son and Lady Jane Grey were all executed.

As a result of this the estate reverted to the main line of the Sutton family, to Edward, eldest son of John de Sutton VII.

In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I visited Dudley Castle and a decade later a survey undertaken to establish its suitability as residence for the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots.

By this time, however, the castle was in decline and deemed unsuitable. The fortunes of the family declined further with the accession of Edward, son of Edward, in 1586.

During the English Civil War Dudley Castle was garrisoned by Royalist troops and twice besieged. (1644 & 1646). It surrendered on May 13, 1646.

In 1647 by order of parliament the keep, gatehouse and various portions of the curtain wall were slighted and Dudley Castle never again played a part in the military history of England.

Main Gate or Triple Gate
Within the main gate or triple gate there are remains of most of the phases of castle construction. The most obvious work is that of the de Someries (1264-1321) which includes the main arches of the gate with their portcullis slots.

In the middle of the stone is a blocked in murder hole from which objects could be hurled at any adversary who had managed to penetrate the defences this far.

The Stables or Lodgings were built in the 17th century upon the ruins of a building which once provided access to the motte top across the moat. This entrance arrangement was constructed, along with the Triple Gate and the Keep in the years circa 1270 for the de Somery family. It was partially demolished in 1647 along with other defensive buildings in the aftermath of the Civil War.

The Keep
The mound upon which the keep stands is not a part of the natural hill, but was produced during excavation of the castle moats in the 11th century when the clay and limestone spoil was piled in one place to create a high mound, known as a motte.

The construction of the first castle occurred around 1070, and at this time the motte would have been surmounted by a timber tower and palisade. This high place was the stronghold of the castle. The keep is a rectangular structure with massive drum towers at each corner.

At the height of his power in the 1540s John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, decided to remodel the domestic apartments at Dudley Castle, his ancestral home.

He commissioned architect Sir William Sharrington and the revamp included a loggia which formed the entrance to the great hall, with large window openings and numerous fireplaces alongside Renaissance decoration.

These arrangements indicate that the function of the castle had changed from medieval fortress into that of Tudor Palace.

The new layout also included the north gate and servants quarters, the pantry or bakehouse, the kitchen, servery and buttery, the great hall, and the great chamber and chapel - the whole of this block was remodelled by the Duke of Northumberland in the 16th century.

A fire, which raged for three days, gutted the once splendid building on July 24, 1750, and no attempt was made to rebuild the castle after the blaze.

A popular belief at that time was that the fire was started on purpose by forgers intent on hiding their activities from discovery.

The local population did not put out the blaze for fear of the gunpowder supposedly stored within the castle - a memory of the Civil War, no doubt.

Dudley Castle was then allowed to settle into the role of romantic ruin. The Earls of Dudley showed sporadic interest in the 50-acre site, and occasionally work was undertaken to improve its appearances, as in the rebuilding of the keep's battlements in the early 19th century.

From that time, to present day, the castle has fulfiled a new role as a centre for festivals and fetes and a focal point of the zoological gardens, which were founded in 1937.

Today the Castle and its Courtyard are the scene of 'living demonstrations' organised by the castle's enthusiastic re-enactment group, along with highly popular ghost walks which enter into the true spirit of the site, which is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of The Grey Lady! plus birds of prey displays, open air music extravaganzas and children's events.

* On August 11, 1575 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I was entertained in the Great Hall of Dudley Castle amid scenes of splendour.

More than 400 years later, on June 24, 1994, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was welcomed to the site to open an Interpretation Centre.

Situated beneath the remains of the great hall and great chamber within the Sharrington range it explains life at Dudley Castle during medieval and Tudor times:

medieval world view
offers visitors a glimpse of Dudley Castle as the centre of its local world

inside the castle
tapestries, trophies and arms adorn the walls as visitors step back in time

dudley family tree
explores the lifes and times of families associated with the castle

john dudley-lady jane grey
the drama of john dudley's reach for the crown

archaeology
artefacts excavated from the castle site across the centuries

Today the scene is very different. Dudley Castle no longer wields power, authority, even fear over local residents, but is a key element in a unique combination of heritage and tourism attractions.

Jill Hitchman

Click here to view a PDF guide to Dudley Castle.

Castle and Ghost Tour
Learn more of the site's colourful past with our daily tours around the castle . . .and hear ghostly tales associated with eleven centuries of history.
Check the zoo map for what time the tour is taking place.

Ghost busters!
Regular evening events offer a chance to find out more about the ghosts of Dudley Castle.

Friends of Dudley Castle
For further information on 'The Friends of Dudley Castle' please visit www.dudleycastle.org.uk

See event listings for further details or call 01384 215313

American traces family to Dudley Castle

An American woman who has traced her ancestry to the barons of Dudley Castle realised a dream when she visited the medieval landmark.

Opal McDaniel Meyers made the journey from her native California to the Black Country where she met local historians and costumed Friends of Dudley Castle to discover more about her family history.

Opal said: I am a descendant of Sir John Sutton of Dudley Castle, who was born about 1380, and his wife Lady Constance Blount. His Gr,Gr,Gr,Gr,Gr,Gr Grandson, Edward Dudley migrated to Virginia Colony from England before 30 Sept. 1650 and settled in York Co. Virginia. His Grandson, Richard Dudley III had a daughter, Dorothy, born about 1695 who married Henry Gatewood. I am the eighth generation down from this marriage through their daughter, Keziah Gatewood who married John Sandidge.

She added: I have a great interest in history and have documented my ancestry back to the
Dudley/Sutton line. I was so excited about my visit to Dudley Castle, it is something I have looked forward to for many years.

I had a fantastic time and can't thank everyone enough for all their help, I learned some amazing things about my ancestors and have some incredible stories to tell my own family in California.

A member of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Society Magna Charta Dames and Barons, Opal is also president of her local Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century Chapter.

Opal, who lives in Yountville, in the heart of the Napa Valley, spent four hours at Dudley Castle, talking to Friends and learning about the personal genealogy of the Dudley/Sutton family along with the history of the site.
She was filmed by BBC TV, interviewed by two Midlands radio stations and photographed by local and regional press.

DZG CEO, Peter Suddock, said: We are thrilled Opal made the journey and laid on a VIP day to help her discover more about her ancestors and life here at Dudley Castle.

She has obviously done her homework and her visit was an immensely interesting day, not just for Opal, but also for all of us associated with the site.