Peveril Castle stands on a limestone outcrop overlooking the west end ofHope Valley, in the midst of an ancient landscape. Overlooking the head of the valley, 2 km to the west, isMam Tor, aBronze Agehill fort, and 2 miles (3 km) to the east atBrough-on-Noeis theRoman fortof Navio. The valley formed a natural line of communication and had extra importance due to valuable mineral resources in the area, particularly lead.[6]
From the Norman Conquest[edit]
The smallHope Castlelay halfway along the valley.[7]The castle's founder,William Peveril, was a follower ofWilliam the Conquerorand was rewarded for supporting him during theNorman Conquest. The first mention of him in England records that in 1068 he was granted the newcastle at Nottinghamby William the Conqueror, who was in the process of subduing the Midlands and northern England. An unsubstantiated legend states that Peveril was William's illegitimate son.[8]By theDomesday Bookof 1086, Peveril had become a powerful landowner, with holdings in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.[8]The exact year he founded the castle is uncertain, although it must have been started by 1086 as it is recorded in the Domesday Book,[8]one of 48 castles mentioned in the survey and the only one in Derbyshire.[9]The castle was recorded as standing atPecheserswhich has been translated as both "Peak's Tail" and "Peak's Arse".[8][10]Although the earliest Norman castles were usually built in timber, Peveril Castle seems to have been designed from outset to be built in stone.[8]
Peveril Castle's keep dates from around the 12th century.
William Peveril had custody of royal lands such as the district ofHope, and although he had his own estates, he relied on continued royal favour to maintain power in this way. In 1100 the new king,Henry I, granted William "hisdemesnein the Peak". Thus the Peak became an independent lordship under William Peveril's control, and the castle became an important centre of administration for the area, allowing the collection of taxes. Castleton benefited from the castle's new status and began to grow as the lordship's economic heart.[11]William Peveril died in 1114 and was succeeded by his son,William Peveril the Younger. In the civil war known asThe Anarchybetween KingStephenand theEmpress Matilda, Peveril backed the losing side and his fortunes suffered after his capture at theBattle of Lincolnin 1141. In 1153 Peveril was suspected of attempting to poisonRanulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester. In 1153 the future KingHenry IIaccused Peveril of "plundering and treachery" and threatened to confiscate his estates and hand them over to the Earl of Chester.[12]Two years later Henry, now king, followed through his threat. The Earl of Chester was dead by this time, and the king kept the property for himself.[12]Once under royal control, Peveril became the administrative centre of theForest of High Peak.[13]
William Peveril the Younger died in 1155, and as his only male heir had predeceased him, the family's claim on the confiscated estates was taken up by the husband of William's daughter,Margaret Peveril. Margaret had marriedRobert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby.[12]King Henry II visited Peveril Castle three times during his reign. During the first visit, in 1157, he hosted KingMalcolm IV of Scotland[14]who paid homage to Henry after cedingCumberlandandWestmorlandto the English king.[15]Henry II visited again in 1158 and 1164. When a group of barons led by Henry's sonsHenry the Young King,Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, and PrinceRichard, later Richard the Lionheart, took part in theRevolt of 1173–1174against the king's rule, the king spent £116 on building work at Peveril andBolsover Castlesin Derbyshire. The garrison was also increased. Previously Peveril was guarded by two watchmen and a porter, but this was expanded to a force led by 20 knights shared with Bolsover and Nottingham castles during the revolt. After the revolt ended in 1174, further steps were taken to improve Peveril Castle, and thePipe Rolls(records of royal expenditure) show that between 1175 and 1177 £184 was spent on building the keep.[14]Building in stone was expensive, and though Peveril's keep was small, moderately-sized stone castles such as the contemporaryOrfordcould cost thousands of pounds.[16]Henry II's average income during his reign has been estimated to be around £10,000 per year.[17]As few documents have survived, it is uncertain when parts of the castle were built, and archaeological investigations have been unsuccessful in dating the stonework.[11]Henry II died in 1189 and was succeeded by his son, Richard the Lionheart. Soon after his coronation, Richard granted the lordship of the Peak, including the castle, to his brotherJohn. While Richard was on crusade, John rebelled and on his return Richard confiscated the lordship.[18]
Key made of copper alloy, found at Peveril Castle
John became king in 1199 after Richard's death.William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derbymaintained the claim of the Earls of Derby to the Peveril estates. He paid King John 2000 marks(£1333) for the lordship of the Peak, but the Crown retained possession of Peveril and Bolsover Castles. John finally gave Ferrers these castles in 1216 to secure his support in the face of country-wide rebellion. However, the castellanBrian de Lislerefused to hand them over. Although de Lisle and Ferrers were both King John's supporters, the king gave Ferrers permission to use force to retake the castles.
Henry III[edit]
The situation was still chaotic when KingHenry IIIbecame king after his father's death in 1216. Although Bolsover fell to Ferrers' forces in 1217 after a siege, there is no indication that Peveril was assaulted, and it is likely that Brian de Lisle negotiated his surrender. Ferrers only had possession of the lordship until King Henry III came of age. When the time came he was reluctant to hand over the property, and after an initial deadlock the Crown took control in 1223. Although contemporary Pipe Roll records of expenditure at Peveril survive, they do not specify how the money was spent. As a result, it is unclear what constitutes maintenance and what marks substantial construction work; however, Richard Eales, who wrote the 2006English Heritageguidebook, suggests that there were two periods of building, when sums spent were larger than usual: £54 in 1204–1207 and £67 in 1210–1212.[18]The medieval historianSidney Painterestimated that in about 1200 there were only seven magnates in England whose annual income exceeded £400 and a knight could easily live on £10 to £20 per year.[19]
Map of the area fromThe Growth of the English HousebyJohn Alfred Gotch, 1909
The rest of the 13th century was relatively peaceful, and records show that Peveril Castle was maintained by the Crown. In 1235, in preparation for the king's visit, the north wall and bridge were repaired. After significant work in 1250–52 (£60 spent), 1272–1275 (£40) and 1288–1290 (£151), it is likely that the castle buildings were complete by 1300.[20]King Henry gave Prince Edward (later KingEdward I) Peveril Castle along with theCounty PalatineofChesterwith the royal holdings in Wales and Ireland. Some of the lands, including Peveril, were made part ofEleanor of Castile'sdower, to come into her possession should her husband, Prince Edward, die. At this time, the Peak lordship was worth around £300 a year. At the outbreak of theSecond Barons' Warin 1264, Peveril Castle was occupied byRobert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby.Simon de Montfortpressured King Henry III into giving him Peveril, although it was recovered by the Crown after De Montfort's death in 1265. The castle was returned to Eleanor's dower, and as she predeceased her husband the lordship returned into royal hands.[21]Its income was used to provide for members of the royal family such as KingEdward II'squeen,Isabella of France, and their children, and royal favourites such asPiers Gaveston. In 1331Edward IIIgave the lordship to his wife,Philippa of Hainault. It was given toJohn de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey, in 1345. After its return to the Crown, the estate was given toJohn of Gaunt, Edward III's third surviving son, partially in exchange for theEarldom of Richmond.[22]
The Lancastrians[edit]
John of Gaunt's ownership marked the start of Peveril Castle's decline. He was the richest nobleman in England and held several castles. As Peveril Castle was relatively unimportant, John decided not to maintain it and in 1374 gave orders to strip the lead from the buildings for re-use atPontefract Castle. It was inherited by his sonHenry Bolingbroke, later King Henry IV, and remained under royal control, administered by theDuchy of Lancaster.[23]During the 15th century, Peveril became less important as administrative functions were moved elsewhere. Although other castles administered by the Duchy of Lancaster were repaired in 1480, there is no indication that this happened at Peveril.[5]A survey conducted for the Duchy in 1561 revealed that Peveril was in a state of decay, and as a result, along withDonnington, was one of two castles that were subsequently abandoned.[24]The castle however hosted local courts until 1600. A survey in 1609 found that Peveril was "very ruinous and serveth for no use".[5]At some point in the post-medieval period the keep's facing stone was removed from three sides. The steep slope prevented the removal of the stone from the fourth side.[25]At one point, the castle was used to house animals.
Modern era[edit]
With the advent of the railways in the 19th century, the area became a tourist attraction. The Duchy of Lancaster undertook maintenance in the 19th century to ensure the castle's condition did not deteriorate further, mostly by clearing rubble and adding mortar.[26]SirWalter Scott's 1823 novelPeveril of the Peak, set in the mid 17th century, described the castle ruins.[27][28]
In 1932 the Duchy gave custody of the castle to theOffice of Works, while retaining ownership. The site is today cared for by English Heritage, the successor to the Office of Works. The surrounding landscape has been protected as anational parksince 1951.[26]The castle is ascheduled monument,[27]which means it is a "nationally important" historic building andarchaeological sitewhich has been given protection against unauthorised change.[29]It is also aGrade I listed building(first listed in 1985),[1]and recognised as an internationally important structure.[30]It has been described as "perhaps the finest medieval landmark of the Peak District",[31]and architectural historianNikolaus Pevsnerremarked that it is "By far the most important castle in the county – in fact the only one of importance".[32]BeforeDuffield Castlein the south of the county wasdestroyedin 1266 it had one of the largestkeepsin England, though only the foundations survive.[33]
