Shipbrook Castle 1080
| Artwork | Jan Johnson |
| Maker(s) | Jan Johnson |
| Location |
Riverside Organic, Manor Lane, Whatcroft, CW9 7RH https://w3w.co/jumps.prominent.reunion |
| Sources | Christine Bennett, "A Cestrian Song" by Eli Lewis-Lycett https://sites.google.com/riversideorganic.co.uk/riversideorganic/history-of-shipbrook |
Shipbrook Castle 1080
Passing along the country road by Riverside Organics you could scarcely imagine that this had been the site of a castle and yet Baron De Vernon (mentioned in the Domesday Book) lived at Shipbrook and it was the family’s principle dwelling.
We don’t have much documentation about what actually existed and so our two castle panels represent hypothetical scenarios.
'The name “Castle Hill” is seems to be all that remains of Shipbrook Castle. There are no piles of stones or even a raised hill remaining to suggest that there had been any such fortification here. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, William the Conquer was now in charge and had given lands to his Knights who supported him with his invasion. One of these is Richard De Vernon, and he was given lands confiscated from the Saxon lord, Lord Osmer.
Shipbrook is on a raised area above the River Dane. Richard De Vernon built his first house It may have been little more than a small raised mound with a small wooden building and a palisade fence around it.
In time the wooden structure was removed and replaced by a stone built structure which is finally swept away by Edward Tomkinson circa 1770-90 (Ormerod)
The site is now occupied by Shipbrookhill, home of Riverside Organic Farm. Thank you to the Bennett family for hosting this panel.
