Wrangle Castle

Overview

Wrangle Bank runs roughly parallel with and 2.5 km North of the A52. When driving along this back road today, the grass-covered earth structures you will pass seem incongruous. These are the remains of Wrangle Castle, now known as King's Hill, a scheduled monument. It is a reasonable distance from the village with no close neighbours. When I first saw them, it intrigued me why it was built there and why it was so large. So, I set out to discover what I could about this hidden castle.

It turns out that there is little published history of the castle. It is one of those places everyone knows about, but no one knows much about. I have tried to combine different aspects to create a fuller picture of the once-imposing defensive structure. I am not an academic, but I have drawn on proper historians' work and sifted through many public records, adding links to further information where appropriate. I may take some creative liberties in places, but they should be obvious, and in any case, I am not an academic, so I can.

In the South Lincolnshire Fens, Wrangle Castle is unique. It is a medieval Motte and Bailey castle. These castles did not look like those in Hollywood movies or even Lincoln Castle. They were more rudimentary but potentially just as effective. They consisted of a man-made hill (Motte) surmounted by a wooden tower. Around the Motte, just to confuse things, there was sometimes a moat. At the foot of the Motte is the Bailey. This was a walled courtyard with buildings within it. The defensive walls of the Bailey would usually be timber. The image below is an artist's impression of how one would look.

Motte & Bailey image -Cane, J. (2018, May 16). Motte and Bailey Castle Diagram. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8758/motte-and-bailey-castle-diagram/

The 1887 Ordnance Survey map of King's Hill gives an idea of the scale and layout of the site. The total site is estimated to cover 397m x 322m it was very big. The Motte itself measured 10 metres across, and its outer ditches 15 metres. The layout doesn't look too dissimilar to the one in the illustration above. Evidence of a Roman settlement on the site has been found, suggesting a history that stretches much further back than medieval times. MLI10036 - 'Kings Hill', Wrangle - Lincolnshire Heritage Explorer

The areas to the East and West of the Motte have now been ploughed out and cannot be seen. Outlines of the earthworks to the East of the Motte shown in the OS map above can be seen in a 1950s aerial photograph of the site on the Cambridge air photos website. Earthworks, King's Hill, 1.5 miles NW of Wrangle – aerial photo (cambridgeairphotos.com)

There are very few similar Motte structures in the Lincolnshire Fens and nothing that can be compared in size. The next largest, and roughly only a quarter the size, is the evocatively named Manwar Ings at Swineshead. Then Hanby Hall at Welton le Marsh (though technically on marshland, not fenland), where there is a moat and earthworks named castle hill. Finally, there is a Motte at Fleet, which does not appear to have been of significant size. Tattershall castle has medieval origins with possibly a Motte and Bailey, but not much is known about it as the later fortified house that can still be seen today was built in the same location. It may have been a large site. That is all that I have been able to find across a vast area of Lincolnshire. The other "castles" or fortified manor houses known are Sleaford Castle, a "proper" castle built by the Bishop of Lincoln in the early 12th century, Kyme Tower, which was late medieval, constructed mid-14th century, and the later still Rochford Tower and Hussey Tower in Boston. What constitutes a castle is open to debate.

Wrangle Castle was clearly a very important structure but only for a relatively short period. Exactly how long we may never know.

First of all, it is essential to understand the castle's construction within the context of its time. The geographical, socio-economical, and political landscapes were very different from now, and without some insight, it isn't easy to understand the castle.

The Context

Wrangle is mentioned in Domesday Book as being within the long-forgotten Hundred of Wolmersty. Wolmersty stretched from Skirbeck to Wrangle, incorporating all the villages on the way. Actually, it stretched to the deserted medieval settlement of Wolmersty, which gave the Hundred its name. This was on the Wrangle / Friskney boundary, off Ivery Lane, in what I assume is still called Wrangle Lowgate. Wrangle | Domesday Book (opendomesday.org) MLI13123 - Wolmersty Deserted Medieval Settlement - Lincolnshire Heritage Explorer

In Domesday, 1086, Wrangle is tiny. There are seven freemen households reported. It is in the 20% smallest places recorded in the audit. A household, on average, would be five people. Therefore, the population of Wrangle was 35. The freemen would have owned land in the parish, but Lords controlled the land. They had the job of collecting taxes. The rich have always had it tough! Count Alan (of Brittany) and Guy of Craon were the two Lords in Wrangle. Guy drew the short straw as he only had a small area of land, which is described as possibly waste. Or not productive. There is no need to feel sorry for him, though. In 1066, which is the date that the Normans took over, he held no land. In 1086 as recorded in Domesday, he held lands in 73 places, mainly across Lincolnshire. Backing the winner pays handsomely.

The Soke, or right to tax, the land was consolidated over time and at some point in the mid-twelfth century, it was used to buy the services of three-quarters of a knight from Ranulph II, 4th Earl of Chester. Now I know this is going to raise questions. Not least, how do you buy three-quarters of a knight? I assume this means that the land of Wrangle was insufficient payment for a whole knight’s service, so it would be bundled with some other land to make up the price. The transfer was permanent, and the Soke now belonged to Ranulph II.

It is next recorded as passing to the Earl Marshall. This is very exciting as the Earl Marshall was William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, "the greatest knight that ever lived". William Marshall was as close to a Hollywood knight as ever lived. He was fabulously wealthy. A wealth that he earned through his actions, not inheritance. He had his own army and was a hero crusader. I imagine it would be like Wrangle was owned by a superstar today. I contend it was the Earl Marshall that enhanced the existing manor to become the Motte and Bailey behemoth that Wrangle Castle was.

Ranulph III was the next to take over Wrangle and the now impressive castle after his appointment as Earl of Lincoln. This appointment was made by William Marshall, who at the time was Regent, effectively the stand-in King, acting on behalf of Henry III, who, at nine years old, was too young to rule. This was sometime after the death of King John at Newark in 1216, and after the capture of Lincoln Castle from the rebels in 1217. During this battle of Lincoln, Ranulph fought alongside William Marshall and earned his position as Earl of Lincoln.

Wrangle then stayed with the Earls of Lincoln until it ultimately passed into the hands of King James I, who ruled England from 1603. It is assumed that the name King's Hill comes from this change of ownership.

The ownership of Wrangle Castle is difficult to pin down because of patchy records. The facts we do know are set out above, and in table form below, I have tried to fill in a couple of gaps in this period.

Date Acquired	Owner	Title
Mid-twelfth century before his death - 1150 perhaps?	Ranulf (II) de Gernon	4th Earl of Chester 1129-1153
1153 - With title	Hugh de Kevelioc	5th Earl of Chester 1153-1181
1181 - With title	Ranulf (III) de Blondeville	6th Earl of Chester 1181-1232
Sometime between 1194 and 1216. Best guess is 1214 after his return from Ireland in 1213.	William Marshal	The Earl Marshal, 1194-1219
1217	Ranulf (III) de Blondeville	6th Earl of Chester and 1st Earl of Lincoln – held 1217-1232

I assume that the property passed with the title between the Earls of Chester from Ranulf II to Ranulf III. I also assume that William Marshal acquired the Castle, not his elder brother John Marshal who held the Earl Marshal title before him. John was a minor noble with few land holdings and constantly at odds with the King, whereas William was far more successful and wealthier. William was confirmed Earl Marshal on his brother's death by King Richard the Lionheart.

What is intriguing is that the ownership passes to William Marshal for a short period and then back to Ranulf III as Earl of Lincoln. Why might that happen?

This whole timeline is based on castle historian David Roffe's summary of Wrangle Castle. WRANGLE KING'S HILL (roffe.co.uk) with additional research and insights by myself.

The Landscape

There is a significant and extensive research project by Professor Ian G Simmons of the University of Durham titled Margins of the East Fen: Historic Landscape Evolution. It essentially covers the East Fen and coast from Wainfleet to Wrangle. It is a fascinating read for anyone interested in how the landscape has changed and the history of the Fens. Thanks to its digital publication, jumping around and finding the bits that interest you is possible. However, it is still quite a complicated document to navigate. It is an incredible resource to help understand how the Fens and marshes functioned at the time of the Castle. It is a highly complex subject, and I can only touch on it. To fully understand, you should read Professor Simmons' work. https://www.dur.ac.uk/east-lincs-history/ (Since writing this story, the link has stopped working. I cannot find it anywhere else online. He has produced a book - Fen and Sea - It is quite expensive, but you may find a used copy)

At times, Lincolnshire was one of the most populated parts of the country. As the importance of the county waned, the population did not keep pace with the rest of the country, and now it is one of the least populated parts of the country. South Lincolnshire and the Fens are particularly sparsely populated, which would also have been the case when Wrangle Castle was built. Most of the population would have lived on what is known generically as the Townlands. A bank of higher ground that follows the coastline of the Wash and where the villages are now established. This is why Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Old Leake, and Wrangle all seem to run in a line following the coast. This higher ground separated the marshes from the Fens. The marshes are covered by tide daily or regularly, and the Fenlands are wet in places, dotted with ponds/pools, dry higher patches, and flooding occasionally. Either inundated by the sea or by rivers overflowing.

It should be remembered that at the end of the Roman period, around AD400, there was a significant and rapid rise in the sea level. At that time, the sea reached the foot of the Wolds, completely flooding most of the Fens. South Lincolnshire looked very different from how we perceive it today. Over time the sea retreated, and by medieval times it had drawn back to the townlands. Very roughly, in the early medieval times we are interested in, the coastline followed the A52 Boston to Skegness road.

There were three major havens for boats on this stretch of coast at the time. These were Boston, where the Haven is still the name used for where the sea reaches inland to the town, Wainfleet, which was a major port, and Wrangle. I learned that there was also a Bicker Haven which reached inland to the villages of Bicker and Swineshead. But I believe that this Haven had become silted and unnavigable by medieval times.

Wrangle Haven was a significant harbour for boats. It had a narrow entrance and reached far inland. The entrance to the haven can be imagined today as being a short section of the A52 between the Bricklayers Arms and Joy Hill, which is just around the corner. Where the Bede cottages and the Bede school, seem to sit on a bit of a hill. The Haven was bounded by Gowt Bank, Double Bank, Wrangle Bank, and Sea Dyke. The sea actually reached Wrangle Castle. This is an amazing realisation. One could not guess it just by looking at the terrain today.

Over time, the haven silted up, and became narrower and shorter. It has been recorded that during the 14th century, rising sea levels saw much silt washed up against the coastline and counterintuitively helped shore up the sea defences rather than flood the Fens. Along parts of the coast, this build-up of silt was added to by waste from Salterns, further building up and extending the Townlands, or the Tofts as they are known between Wrangle and Wainfleet. In total this helped to make the Fens safer from flooding by the sea and probably marked the beginning of the end of the Fens as a wild and unmanaged place.

Professor Simmons puts the loss of the Haven in the context of Wainfleet: "The demise of Wrangle Haven seems to be unrecorded but the 1485 Royal Charter for Wainfleet makes it quite clear that the commerce of the town has decayed.

... an ancient sea-port ... formerly existed there ... for lack of coming of friendly ships and for other causes and because of great losses falling upon the said men and tenants, the said town is nearly a ruin and will soon come to its final destruction, unless relieved;"

https://www.dur.ac.uk/east-lincs-history/investigations/from-1100-1500-the-coast/#2.2.2.2

It is likely that the Haven became unnavigable and stopped extending to Wrangle Castle in the 14th century, with only a narrow creek remaining. At this time it is suggested that Wrangle Harbour was located near the church in the centre of the village. "The sheltered port, some 400 m to the West of the present church, relied on Hangel Creek and its access to the sea.." Wrangle Through the Ages – Wrangle Parish Council (lincolnshire.gov.uk)

Knowing that the Haven reached King's Hill makes more sense of its location. A defensive position for a key harbour, a true "safe haven". Yet the size of the Castle still seems incompatible with what appears to be an inconsequential parish. The havens of Boston and Wainfleet were larger, yet these do not have large castles to secure them.

Commercial activity around Wrangle

Wrangle sat on the coast where the land meets the sea. It had abundant natural resources. The sea provided fishing and trade, the marsh salt production, and the Fens a diverse and prolific set of opportunities. It was a rich mix, but everything was hard won. It was a tough and precarious life for those that lived here. Perhaps most surprising was the level of control enforced over activities on the Fens. There were strict rules defining what was allowed when it was allowed and harsh fines for those that broke the rules. The reason for these rules appeared twofold. Firstly to ensure taxes and dues were collected and secondly, the sustainable management of the resources. The value of the resources was appreciated, and it was understood that if they were over-exploited, they could be lost forever. (Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned?)

The land of the Fens was varied. There were dry lands where cattle could be grazed and hay harvested, wetlands where Mariscus and reeds grew, and large ponds with fish and abundant wildfowl.

Peat cutting was the largest industry of the Fens. Some of the large ponds on the Fens were created through the peat being removed. This was highly controlled. Rights were given to remove fixed amounts of peat measured by how much could be cut in one season by one spade. It had to be dug between May 1st and August 1st and removed by Martinmas (11th November) from the Fen. Much of the peat was used in the production of salt.

Mariscus is a Saw grass used for thatching, which was the roofing material of choice and a valuable crop that was highly managed. There were rules that set when the grass could be harvested, how often it could be harvested, and by what date it had to be removed from the Fen. Mariscus could only be harvested every third year, allowing it time to replenish before cropping. If taken too often, it died back. Fire was used to clear dead leaves after the harvest, and this, too, was strictly controlled. In the 1220s, after regaining ownership of Wrangle Castle, charters show Ranulph III, Earl of Lincoln, bought up the rights over massive fenland areas, including one 500-acre parcel. The lands were bought in Wrangle, Leake, the Keales, Toynton, Little Steeping, Halton and the marshes of the North Fen. It is thought that his investment was made because of the value of this crop at the time.

The commoners that dwelt on the Fens had unlimited pasture rights. Every year the cattle and sheep of the Fen were driven to a collecting point, usually in June, and counted. Every beast had to be branded, and every owner accounted. Non-commoners with animals on the Fens were fined. Animals from the Wrangle area were likely driven to Stickney Grange for the counting, it being the closest impoundment. Sheep were generally not allowed to roam the Fens and were better suited to grazing the marshes. They were valuable but capable of mass destruction of natural resources. To protect the valuable animals, a ban was put on keeping Mastiffs and other large dogs that could attack them.

Wildfowl and fishing were valuable resources, and the Fens were a rich source. Freshwater fish and eels were caught. Wildfowl were prolific, though there were rules preventing taking Cranes, Swans, Bitterns, and any eggs except ducks and geese.

Along the coast, salt production was the primary industry. Salterns were the "factories" that made the salt. Producers were allocated sand acres on the marsh foreshore. Each saltern also had a plot of grazing allocated to feed the oxen that helped in the salt production process. They raked the silt, where only spring tides covered it, and the disturbed silt trapped the salty water. This was scraped into piles by the oxen next to a boiling house called a salt cote. It was then taken into the salt cote, which contained the pans where the water was evaporated and the salt refined using peat fires. Again, Saltern numbers were controlled and taxed. Many of the salterns were seasonal. They had to be abandoned during the winter and started production again the following Spring. Salt was a major export from Wrangle by sea. There are records of salt being traded for herring, which was brought back in return. Although no salterns are recorded in Domesday at Wrangle, there remains much evidence that salt was a major industry at later times and likely at the time of the castle.

People of the Fens

There seem to be two distinct populations that are described in the area. On the edges of the East Fen were industrious salt producers, fishermen, farmers, and boatmen. England’s last hunter-gatherers fished and hunted amongst the ponds and bogs within the Fen.

The Slodgers, as they were known, survived on the natural resources of the Fen. I have not found any description of these people at the time of the Castle, but there are from before and after. They appear to have been something of a unique group that was very much looked down upon by the learned and sophisticated of the time.

The first written accounts of the Fen dwellers are from Anglo-Saxon times. The people are said to be of the Girvrii tribe. This is assumed to be connected to the Corieltauvi, which was the tribe populating all of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. Jim Snee, in a Heritage Lincolnshire blog post titled Lincolnshire’s Last Hunter-Gatherers, quotes a description of the people as having a “fearsome appearance in terms of yellow skin and twisted limbs, which are similar to later, more reasoned, accounts of fen ague and malaria, which were prevalent among fen dwellers”. That malaria existed on the Fens was not something I had imagined. There is an account of how the men of the Fens would travel to cities to find wives after their existing wives had died of “the ague”. The wives partnered from the cities had no resistance or immunity to malaria and did not survive long. It was a harsh environment.

In the 16th century, the inhabitants of the Fen were described as Scotchmen as they spoke an old British language, not English. In his History of the Fens of South Lincolnshire, William Henry Wheeler recounts some fabulously insulting early descriptions of the inhabitants of East Fen. “Isolated and apart from all the comforts and advantages of civilised life, deprived of the humanising effect of churches and religious instruction, and the kind care and soothing influence of a pastor, these people were in little better condition than the aborigines of New Zealand or Australia”. And “a half-savage people, leading an amphibious life – known as Breedlings.”

The rules regarding the use and exploitation of the Fens were codified in the 16th century Fens Law of Common and would be based on the regulations and taxation that were in place prior. The people of the Fens may not have been as wild and unruly as they were described by those that felt superior to them, but they were fiercely protective of their environment. They opposed the reclamation of the Fens for hundreds of years, finally succumbing to progress in Georgian times.

Justifications for Wrangle Castle

Wrangle was an important harbour on the Lincolnshire coast. It was at the centre of a thriving mixed economy, and powerful noblemen controlled it. The economy was buoyant, and the land and sea were highly productive. Yet compared to Boston or even Wainfleet, it was not as important or as wealthy. Neither of those towns had large castles to protect them. Nor did any other location in the Fens, except perhaps Tattershall. What was the castle protecting, and who from?

At the time of its construction, there were no real threats from the sea. The threats were internal but focused well away from here. There was no great battle of East Fen ever recorded, and it would be unlikely that any rival Lord would attempt to take control of the area as such entitlements were subject to Royal approval.

Wrangle was not on a major thoroughfare of great importance. It was, as is now, a bit of a backwater. So there was no need for a castle to stop an enemy's progress.

In Norman times, the Fen people had rules, regulations, and taxation enforced upon them. Their way of life had been that of the hunter-gatherer for hundreds of years. They had a freedom of life that had been rarely challenged. The inhospitable environment would not have been something that others coveted. But as the Fens began to drain, becoming more productive, outsiders would see the potential for creating wealth and control. By the time William the Conqueror arrived, the land was suitable to be divided amongst his nobles, and they would have wanted to maximise the benefits they received from their acquisitions. Therefore, it may be possible that the castle was required to protect the collectors of taxes from the local people.

The reason for building the castle here is a mystery yet to be explained. It appeared, served a purpose unknown, and then over time, mostly disappeared. It is possible that it was simply a statement of status and wealth. But that could have been achieved with a simpler, smaller structure as elsewhere in the Fens. The size and complexity of Wrangle Castle do not seem to support such a notion. Unless new evidence emerges, we may never be sure.

Whatever its purpose, we are left with the grass-covered earthworks that are easy to drive past without noticing.

I do have a theory, not presented here, that it was built for a single purpose and that its decline began once it served that purpose. I have outlined this theory elsewhere on this website within the three-part story of King John.