Listed Building: CASTLE FARMHOUSE AND RUINS OF MELBOURNE CASTLE AND OUTBUILDINGS (1204011)

Farmhouse and attached castle walls with outbuildings. c1311, with C15 and C16 additions, and early C18 with C19 and C20 alterations and additions. Farmhouse is of red brick, on stone plinth, with flush stone quoins and plain tile roof with brick coped gables and central brick ridge stack. Castle walls are of ashlar and rubble stone. Farmhouse is two storeys plus attics and has three bays, plus single storey wing to east. Main elevation to east has ground floor covered by a glazed lean-to with a brick porch to south end. Behind this there is a flat headed 2-light casement window to north, a wide central segment headed 3-light window, and a C19 four-centred arched doorcase between, with studded C20 door. Beyond to south the single storey wing has two C20 3-light windows. Above there are two tall flat headed 2-light windows with a small blocked opening between. Above again in the attics there are five gabled roof dormers. North gable wall has segment headed 3-light windows to ground and first floors, plus a tall similar 2-light window above. East elevation has a similar mixture of segment headed and flat headed windows. All windows have C20 leaded casements. Attached to east of the farmhouse is the tall rubble castle wall, standing approximately 20 feet high and continuing about 20 yards to the east. North side has various later brick outbuildings attached to it and south side has been excavated to the east end to reveal the moulded ashlar plinths to two polygonal towers. Interior of the farmhouse has three large raised oak cruck trusses in the attic and the remains of an oak newel staircase. There are large chamfered beams to ground and first floors, probably re-used from the castle, and there are various re-used C17 and C18 doors, from other houses. The castle was built about 1311 when a licence to crenellate was given by the Duke of Lancaster to Robert Holland. Extensive repairs were carried out between 1483-5. It was sold in 1604, by the Crown who were then the owners to the Earl of Huntingdon, who demolished it in 1637. Sources - see HMSO 'The flings Works' Vol II, Pg 738. Listing NGR: SK3890825222