over 900 years of history

1. over 900 years of history

2. Why build a Castle at Wisbech? Providea centre of operations Assertthenew authority of The Normans Controlthe Fenmen Protectionagainst theVikings Good sea and river communications A good strategic location

3. Location MountPleasantSea Bank PresentCourse of the Nene Estuary N Staithe Saxon Settlement Crossing point The Mount The Castle Ferry River Wyse or Ouse The River Wyse or Ouse was later diverted to the present outfall at King’s Lynn The River Wyse and the Saxon word ’bec’ or stream provides the origin of the town’s name Course of the Wisbech Canal1796

4. Timeline 1071 Timber castle constructed 1087 Stone castle completed 1216 King John’s visit 1236 Damaged by flood 1246 first Constable William Justice, a further eight Constables held office until 1489 1291 John de Lacey pardoned after breaking out 1315 Richard Lambert of Lynn ‘so inhumanly gnawed by toads and venomous vermin that his life was despaired of’

5. The Bishop’s Palace Built in 1478 by Bishop Morton Later Cardinal MortonArchbishop of Canterbury Enlarged 1483 by Bishop Alcock Died at Wisbech in 1500 No records exist of the Bishop’s Palace 1609-1619 Bishop Andrews 1631-1638 Bishop White ‘Considerable sums spent on the residence’

6. The Bishop of Lincoln’s Palace at Buckden

7. The Palace as a prison During the 16th century with the establishment of the Church of England, Roman Catholics particularly their priests faced imprisonment. The idea of concentrating such prisoners in one place dates from 1572 when the Privy Council asked the Bishop of Ely about the suitability of Wisbech Castle. One such priest was William Weston, he was sent from France to give encouragement to Roman Catholics ‘a firebrand has come among us’

8. The Palace as a prison In 1588 with the fear of a Spanish invasion, notable Catholics were imprisoned, two such Catholics were… Robert Catesby and Francis Tresham After their release and some years later in 1606 they were the principal conspirators in The Gunpowder Plot

9. TheCivil War Fenland was predominently Parliamentarian and in 1643 the castle was put in a state of defence, £11.12s.6d was spent repairing the drawbridge. By 1656, Oliver Cromwell had the old palace demolished, possibly to prevent it falling into Royalist hands It was acquired by The Hon Sir John Thurloe PC MP, Secretary of State to Oliver Cromwell, he built the house which was to become known as Thurloe’s Mansion

10. Thurloe’s Mansion The mansion was probably designed by Peter Mills who was responsible for Thorpe Hall at Peterborough After the restoration of the monarchy, ownership of the property reverted to the Bishops of Ely, who stayed occasionally on their visits to Wisbech. In 1668 it is recorded that the Corporation ordered the purchase of a calf, a wethersheep and an ox to be brought to the Bishop’s table. The estate was then leased to local families and the Southwells occupied the premises for over 100 years. Edward Southwell paid a rent of £30 a year

11. Thurloe’s Mansion

12. THE CASTLESITE Castle Square Ghost Passage Market Street The Crescent MuseumSquare Present House

13. The Regency Villa Constructed from the recycled Mansion Many original internal and external features Castle Lodge constructed in the same way The Vaults Cellars to Thurloe’s Mansion Parts may date from Bishop’s Palace The well thought to have served the Norman Castle

14. JosephMedworth Born in Wisbech 1752 the son of a ropemaker Moved to Bermondsey which was a busy port and had at least three ropewalks, did he move initially to follow his father’s trade? Took up the trade of bricklayer in an expanding London Married Sarah Fisher in 1775 at Wisbech St Peter’s Church Having prospered as a builder and property developer he returned to Wisbech in 1793 and bought the Castle Estate

15. He developed plans for the redevelopment of the town, which required the resiting of the Grammar School to his mansion which he offered to the town for £2000 The Capital Burgesses, turned down his offer possibly hoping to get a better price, or because they disapproved of Mr Medworth He had attracted much scandal through his relationships with his housekeepers, his wife remaining in London He decided therefore, in 1815 to demolish the mansion using much of the materials to build a new house on the site His plans also included construction of the Crescent, Union Place andEly Place within the newly developed site

16. The Medworth Inheritance Joseph Medworth died in 1827, leaving houses in the Crescent to Sarah Rowell and her children and the children of Sarah Gibson with an income from the Castle rents. He also left his wife an income of £100 per year and house and possessions in Bermondsey By 1864, under the terms of the will, the house had to be sold by order of the High Court of Chancery The property was then purchased by local bankers the Peckover family for £1300, it was leased for various uses, as a school, dentists surgery and an opticians practice until 1957.

17. 1957-1969 In 1957, when the Castle was yet again on the market, there was considerable local concern that it might be demolished However it was bought by Mr and Mrs Fendick, Mr Fendick was Chief Education Officer for the Isle of Ely. Following his death in 1969 Mrs Fendick bequeathed the property to the Education Authority. It was her wish that the Castle be used as a‘LIVING MUSEUM’ for the benefit of local schoolchidren

18. The Castle Today The Castle is still owned by the local authority, Cambridgeshire County Council and is operated by Professional Centre Servicesfor… A meeting and training venue for the County Council and other public and private organisations Office accommodation Educational visits forschoolchildren A range of activities designed to enhance the NationalCurriculum Civil Ceremonies A popular venue for civil weddings

19. Produced by Geoffrey Wilkinson Site Manager Cambridgeshire County Council 2008