Gloucester Castle

Gloucester Castle was a castle in the cathedral city of Gloucester in the county of Gloucestershire.

Early Norman Motte & Bailey Castle
Probably constructed by Roger de Pitres, who was also the first Norman Sheriff of Gloucester. It began as a simple motte and bailey castle during the reign of William the Conqueror when 16 houses were demolished to make way for it. It was enlarged by William Rufus who demolished 8 more houses. It was placed in the custody of the sheriff of the county, Roger of Gloucester.

Improvements
Before 1112 Walter de Gloucester built a new castle west of Barbican hill on a former garden of Gloucester Abbey, overlooking the River Severn. The hereditary sheriffs of Gloucester held Gloucester castle until 1155 and later it was retained by the Crown.

King's Residence
It was further extended by Henry I and Henry II. More improvements and some repairs were carried out by Henry III, these improvements including a bridge across the River Severn leading to a barbican in the outer wall. Henry III often used it as a residence, and it played an important role in the barons' war when it was besieged twice in 1264-5. Part of the castle had been being used as a gaol by 1185 and it was probably then the official county gaol, as it certainly was by 1228, and Eleanor of Brittany, cousin of the king with a better claim to the throne according to primogeniture and thus becoming a state prisoner, had been briefly imprisoned there, and its prisoners once had to be transferred to accommodate her.

More work was done on the castle during the reigns of Edward I, Edward II and Edward III.

Decline
The defences were kept in full repair until the mid 15th century. It is likely that in the reign of Richard III the castle ceased to be maintained as a fortress, continuing in use only as the county gaol. Much of the stonework of the castle was taken to construct roads and other buildings and by the mid 17th century all the buildings around the curtain wall had apparently gone, leaving only the keep, used as the gaol, and the main gatehouse standing.

Gaol
In time the keep was considered to be unsuitable for use as a gaol and its demolition began in 1787. The new gaol was finished in 1791 leaving no visible remains of the castle.