Kirby Muxloe Castle is an unfinished moated 15th century fortified manor house in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, England
Kirby Muxloe Castle is an unfinished moated 15th century fortified manor house in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, England The castle is built predominantly in brick, which was a new, expensive, and fashionable material at that time. Such lavish construction was in part afforded by the immense power and wealth that William had gained in the service of King Edward IV. The red bricks were formed and fired in a kiln either on, or nearby the site. The castle also featured a new type of defensive detail for the period: gun ports for artillery emplacements. The surviving buildings consist of the Gatehouse and the west Tower. The gatehouse is partly complete to the first storey, and has black brick patterned into the red brick. The initials "" are visible above the gateway along with the arms of Hastings, a ship, and the lower half of a possible figure.[3] The plan of the gatehouse has octagonal turrets. There are two rooms at ground floor either side of the entrance with vaulted brick ceilings. These were to serve as the porters lodge and the guardroom, they had windows to the court and housed large fireplaces. The Porters Lodge is used today as a visitors reception. There are also spiral staircases to the first floor level, which was never completed and is unroofed, but and would have been where the drawbridge and portcullis were worked. It is probable that a further story was planned for the Gatehouse.[1] Within the octagonal towers facing the moat there are circular gun-ports, with sighting slits above, for canon artillery. Two of these are located beneath the water level of the moat, which would appear to be ineffectual unless the moat was dry. The gun-ports therefore appear to be more for show than for actual use of defence.[3] The West Wing was the only part of the castle to be fully completed, and comprises three storeys of accommodation rooms, each room having a lavatory. Today the interior of the Wing is un-floored, but a spiral staircase affords access to ant
Size: 4000px × 6000px
Location: Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, East Midlands, England, UK
Photo credit: © Philip Chapman / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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