Local History

through the door

13 History

The destruction of Verdly Castle By local historian & artist David Johnston

have been destroyed –that of repairing the neighbouring roads.” In the oak woods of Verdley, to the east of the tiny hamlet is the site of this 13th century castle. Some fragments of the walls were standing in Sir William Burrell`s time, and a drawing of them with a ground plan [1770] is preserved among his MSS. “Two or three of the window openings were in the Early English style. There was formerly a wood called Verdley Park, which contained 250 acres, and the early maps of Sussex represent the tower as surrounded by a park pale. The dimensions of the castle were 68 by 33 feet, and the walls were nearly six feet in thickness. Near the door were some slight traces of a narrow winding staircase. There are faint traces of a moat.”

Pavement at Henley

It was long considered likely that a Roman road had run from North Gate in Chichester through Singleton, Midhurst, Easebourne and on through to Old Henley –for here, in this tiny hamlet, situated no further than a mile from Midhurst, was a remarkable piece of paved road [now covered by tarmac] for many years thought to be of Roman construction. The natives always called it “the old Roman road.” In fact an old inhabitant had often asserted with conviction that it had always been a Roman road as long as she could remember. Finally it was decided to seek permission from the authorities to excavate, and if possible to discover the date of the road. Permission was granted, and in July 1932, two trenches were dug and notes of the construction and material used were made. The idea that it was of Roman construction was then disposed of by finding, well below the pavement, a considerable amount of iron slag of blast furnace date. Therefore, the excavations concluded, “the road surface cannot be older than 1550, the earliest possible date for a blast furnace, and that the remarkable paving was only laid down during the last half of the eighteenth century”. In fact, the site from where these paving stones came from is identified in the 1822 edition of the –“Excursions in the County of Sussex” –as follows:- “A building called Verdley Castle, which is supposed to have been a Grange, belonging to the religious foundation, [Shulbrede Priory] as it stood at not more than a mile's distance, existed, though in a very ruinous state, until the manor of Verdley devolving, with that of Midhurst, to W.S.Poyntz, Esq., the steward of that gentleman effected its demolition, in order to apply the materials to a purpose for which many other ancient edifices in this kingdom

Of the history of this 'Castle' little or nothing is known. There are several traditional stories as to its original use, all without foundation. But it is very likely, that this once moated building, was attached to the lordship of Midhurst, probably the De Bohuns, the ancient residence of that family, before, or during the time that they also held the castellated building on St Anne's Hill, in Midhurst. It is recorded that the old castle that stood on St Anne's Hill, –the residence of the Bohuns –was destroyed between the years 1311 / 15, when it was in the custody of Edmund, Earl of Arundel –the heir, John Bohun, being a minor. For this, the Earl of Arundel was summoned in 1316, in the court of the Kings Bench, to answer for the destruction of –“two” –messuages. Interestingly, the 1922 edition of the –'Early History of Cowdray' –says that the –“second messuage was probably that of the manor house of Todham”. –But I believe that this 'second' messuage, may well have been the ancient –'Verdley castle'? It would certainly account for the 'mysterious' destruction of this old castellated building –destroyed around the same time as that of the St Anne's Hill castle. To purchase the image accompanying this article please see www.davidjohnston.org.uk or contact David on: david.rg.johnston@googlemail.com Verdly Castle