Sedgwick Castle

'''Sedgwick Castle''' is a ruined medieval [[castle]] in [[Nuthurst]], [[West Sussex]], [[England]]. The castle dates to 1258 AD. The remains consist of wall fragments and earthworks. The site also includes two concentric ditches, ponds, and an outer enclosure. [[S. E. Winbolt]] led excavations at the castle in 1923 and 1924. Sedgwick Castle was established as a [[scheduled monument]] in 1933.

==Description== The ruined medieval castle with a double concentric moat is located on the western edge of Sedgwick Park in Nuthurst, West Sussex. The inner moat is 70.0m in diameter and the outer moat is 140.0m in diameter. There are no structural remains besides ruined sections of mortared, coursed [[Horsham Stone|Horsham stone]] walls, which are in a poor and deteriorating condition.<ref name="HE ruins">{{cite web |title=Ruins of Sedgwick Castle, Moated site, Nuthurst - Horsham |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/46775 |website=Historic England |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref><ref name ="Mackenzie">{{Cite book|last=Mackenzie|first=Sir James Dixon|url=https://archive.org/details/castlesofengland01mack|title=The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure|publisher=Macmillan Co.|year=1896|location=New York|pages=88–89|oclc=679965266}}</ref> To the west in Rushetts Gill are two large ponds which were constructed in the 13th century.<ref name="Jessop Consultancy">{{cite web |title=Sedgwick Castle, Nuthurst, West Sussex |url=https://www.thejessopconsultancy.co.uk/portfolio/sedgwick-castle/ |website=Jessop Consultancy |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref><ref name="HE Sedgwick Park">{{cite web |title=Sedgwick Park |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1001279?section=official-list-entry |website=Historic England |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref><ref name = "Historic England">{{cite web |title=Medieval moated site at Sedgwick Castle |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1009579 |website=Historic England |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref>

==History== The site was originally a [[Deer park (England)|medieval deer park]] in [[St Leonard's Forest]] and was granted to the Le Savage family after the [[Norman Conquest]]. The family, who later became known as "Sauvage", used the site as hunting property for two centuries.<ref name="Mackenzie" /> John Maunsell (d. 1265) later acquired the property and added a keep and outer wall with surrounding moat in 1258.<ref name="Winbolt" /> A manor house was added to the complex in 1498.<ref name="Heritage Gateway SM">{{cite web |title=West Sussex HER |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWS3524&resourceID=1032 |website=Heritage Gateway |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> The castle was in continuous use until the early 16th century, when it fell into disrepair.<ref name="Heritage Gateway">{{cite web |title=Historic England Research Records: Sedgwick Castle |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=396654&resourceID=19191 |website=Heritage Gateway: Historic England |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> The castle was dismantled and stones from the ruined castle were used in the foundation of Sedgwick Lodge, built in 1600.<ref name="The Gardens Trust">{{cite web |title=Sedgwick Park |url=https://thegardenstrust.org/sedgwick-park-sussex/ |website=The Gardens Trust |access-date=25 May 2024}}</ref>

Archaeologically investigations were conducted at the site in the mid-19th century and the early 20th century. During the first excavation in 1856, the Rev. Turner investigated the castle remains and produced a layout and description of the site. From 1923 to 1924, S.E. Winbolt excavated the area inside the fortified enclosure and the surrounding moats and later produced a summary on the history of the site and his findings.<ref name="Jessop Consultancy" /><ref name = "Winbolt">{{Cite journal |last=Winbolt |first=Samuel Edward |date=1925 |title=Sedwick Castle including Excavations 1923-4 |url=https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/details.xhtml?recordId=3241575 |journal=Sussex Archaeological Collections |language=en |volume=66 |pages=83–110 |doi=10.5284/1085965 |via=Archaeology Data Service |doi-access=free}}</ref> The site was established as a scheduled monument in 1933.<ref name="Historic England" />

== References == {{Reflist}} {{coord|51.02752|-0.31344|display=title}}

== Further reading ==

* {{Cite report|title=Sedgwick Castle, Nuthurst, West Sussex: Archaeological Survey|last=Jessop|first=Oliver|date=2014|publisher=Jessop Consultancy|doi=10.5284/1050799|doi-access=free}} *{{Cite journal |last=Turner |first=Rev. Edward |journal=Sussex Archaeological Collections |publisher=[[Sussex Archaeological Society]] |year=1848 |location=Lewes |title=On Sedgwick Castle|oclc=1608099 |doi=10.5284/1085166 |doi-access=free}}

[[Category:Castles in West Sussex]] [[Category:Ruins in West Sussex]] [[Category:Scheduled monuments in West Sussex]]