Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 26
Kirby Muxloe Castle
(Leicestershire),
1480-84.
are formed with blue brick headers, mainly of diaper type, but Lord Hastings'
initials 'WH' can also be seen on the front of the gatehouse.
Kirby Muxloe's historical importance is given further significance because
an exceptionally detailed set of accounts survives, giving fascinating insights
into the original construction process. The master mason is named as John
Cowper, who came from Tattershall in Lincolnshire, the location of another
slightly earlier major brick-built tower, Tattershall Castle. Bricks were made
near to the site, under the supervision of Antony 'Dotcheman', probably a
Fleming. Antony is later found in the accounts working as a bricklayer, pre-
sumably again in a supervisory role. The accounts specifically mention 'brick-
hewers', who must have been cutting bricks to the necessary special shapes.
This is a rare glimpse of how the skills to create the new style of brick architec-
ture were transferred from the Continent to English craftsmen.
After the abrupt abandonment of work in 1484, the castle was left untouched
for over four centuries, a rare instance of the survival of original early work
without later alteration. In 1911 the owner placed the property in the guardian-
ship of the Office of Works. A major programme of repair was carried out in
1911-13 under the direction of Sir Charles Peers and Sir Frank Baines. This
was one of the first such programmes of work carried out on a national monu-
ment, and it played an important part in the development of conservation in
the early twentieth century. Extensive repairs were made to the brickwork and
the moat was recreated.
These thoroughgoing repairs lasted well, but by the 1980s the need for fur-
ther repairs was becoming evident. A number of minor programmes of repair
were carried out in the 1980s and 1990s, which helped secure various parts
of the fabric. However, deterioration continued to escalate, particularly to
