Marrat's account of the castle
from 1814

WILLIAM MARRAT (1772-1852) MAPPED AND MADE
SEVERAL TOPOGRAPHICAL SURVEYS OF LINCOLNSHIRE
BETWEEN 1814 and 1817.

The name of the founder of Bourne Castle is not known nor the time of its foundation; it has been said that it was built by the Wakes, but a Castle existed in the year 1062, and this was prior to the Wakes being in possession of the place. It is extremely probable that the Castle was built by the Normans, as has been before observed; and, having been kept up successively by the Saxons and Normans, it at length fell to decay and ruin, as Bourne fell away from its primitive splendor. It appears from what Leland* says to have been in a dilapidated state in his time. “There appear grete diches, and the Dungeon Hill of an ancient Castle agayne the West ende of the priory, sumewhat distant from it, as on the other side of the streate backwards: it longgid to the Lord Wake, and much service of the Wake fe is done to this Castelle; and every feodarie knoweth his Station and place of service.”

The building is entirely destroyed, but the earth-works, and foundation walls on the west side, are nearly entire. The area within the outer moat contains about 8 acres; within the inner, about one acre, not like a keep, but flat and covered by a rampart within the ditch.

Between the moat and ditch on the north and west sides, the works are very irregular, consisting of raised banks of about 20 yards in length, and 9 yards in breadth, with a ditch between every one of these, pointing to the grand moat. Altogether they look like a piece of ground drained and are said to have supported Cromwell’s artillery against the town. There is a house and barn, near the place where the Castle stood, which were built out of the old materials. Among the records of this parish, it is said, that, “Oct. 11. 1645. The Garrison of Bourne Castle began,” whence it appears that the Castle was not entirely demolished until the time of the Common-wealth. The inhabitants have a tradition that it was destroyed by the forces under Cromwell, for adhering to Charles I but however this may be, it has certainly never been made mention of as existing subsequent to that period, nor are there any records relative to the time of its demolition.

The only decription [sic] of this Castle is in Peak’s MS ** account of the towns in Kesteven where he says: “The castelle of Brun ys a verrye ancyent portlic castelle scytewate neare Peterspoole, it contaynes thre principal wardes. On the north side ys ye porter’s lodge wch ys now reuinoose, and in decaye by reasone ye floores of ye upper house ys decayed and very necessarie to be repaired. The dungeon ys sett of a little moat made with men’s handes, and for the moste part as yt were square. It is a fare and prattie buildinge, with IV square toures, Rounde about ye same dungeon upon the roofe of ye said toures, ys tryme walkes and a fare prospect of the fenes. And in ye said dungeon ys ye halle, chamberes, and all other maner of houses of offices for ye lord and his traine. The southe syde thereof serveth for ye lordes and ladies lodgeinges, and underneighe them ys ye prisone and wyne cellar wth ye shollorie. Over ye moat yt surrounds ye castelle ys a drawe bridge, ye moat is verie fresh and deipe. Ther ys also a fare parke belonging ye castelle.”

In the inner ditch was the gate house, it consisted of a round tower thirty feet high, embattled on the top, and ascended by a flight of stone steps. In the walls, which were upwards of six feet thick, were several niches, and the door of entrance was through a circular arch, apparently Saxon, in height about eight feet, and closed by a massy door. It was taken down by Lord Exeter, to build a barn and repair the roofs. The situation of this lodge was at the north end of what is now called the castle barns, at the south end of which, on a mount of earth “cast up with mene’s hands,” stood the castle.

Nothing of the castle now remains. The outer and inner moat are, however, still visible, and there is a house and barn near the place where the Castle stood, and which were built out of the old materials.
 

See also William Marrat's account of Bourne