page_title: Kirby Muxloe Castle
section_title: 18th–21st centuries
hierarchical_section_title: Kirby Muxloe Castle / History / 18th–21st centuries
caption_attribution_description: English: Kirby Muxloe Castle, 1826
context_page_description: Kirby Muxloe Castle, also known historically as Kirby Castle, is a ruined, fortified manor house in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, England. William, Lord Hastings, began work on the castle in 1480, founding it on the site of a pre-existing manor house. William was a favourite of King Edward IV and had prospered considerably during the Wars of the Roses. Work continued quickly until 1483, when William was executed during Richard, Duke of Gloucester's, seizure of the throne. His widow briefly continued the project after his death but efforts then ceased, with the castle remaining largely incomplete. Parts of the castle were inhabited for a period, before falling into ruin during the course of the 17th century. In 1912, the Commissioners of Work took over management of the site, repairing the brickwork and carrying out an archaeological survey. In the 21st century, the castle is controlled by English Heritage and open to visitors.
  The castle was rectangular in design, 245 by 175 feet across, and would have comprised four corner towers, three side towers and a large gatehouse, all protected by a water-filled moat; the centre of the castle would have formed a courtyard.
context_section_description: The castle was purchased from the Wollaston family in 1788 by Clement Winstanley. In 1790, the remains of the north tower were still standing, albeit in very poor condition. Clement Winstanley reportedly wanted to pull the northern ruins down, intending to reuse the bricks to make a barn, but his son, also called Clement, intervened, and subsequently carried out repairs to the castle. By the 19th century the ruins were covered in ivy; by the early 20th century, trees were growing out of the tops of the walls, which were frequented by grazing goats and cattle. Much of the moat had silted up and the remains of the bridge had been buried by the accumulated debris.
  By 1911, the owner Major Richard Winstanley was unable to pay for the upkeep of the castle and, concerned about its deteriorating condition, proposed placing the property into the guardianship of the Commissioners of Works. Following a survey by the architect Sir Frank Baines, which showed the ruins to need immediate repairs, the Commissioners took over the castle the following year. It was restored by Sir Charles Peers, the Inspector of Ancient Monuments, between 1912 and 1913. He stripped away any remains of the farm, cleared the vegetation from the walls and repaired the brickwork, re-cutting the moat and reconstructing a replica of the medieval bridge.
  There had been hopes of finding additional remains during Peers' archaeological investigations but, although the foundations of the original manor house were uncovered, few other items were discovered. The complete financial records of the castle's construction, however, were found in the archives of the Hastings family by the historian Thomas Fosbrooke while he was investigating Ashby by de la Zouch castle, who passed them to Peers; they have since provided what the historian John Goodall describes as "a fascinating insight" into medieval building operations.
  In the 21st century, Kirby Muxloe Castle is managed by English Heritage as a tourist attraction, receiving 2,461 visitors in 2015. Substantial restoration work was carried out in 2006, including extensive replacement of much of the brickwork. The castle is protected under UK law as a Grade I listed building, and Historic England considers it to be a "spectacular example of a late medieval quadrangular castle of the highest status".
caption: The ruins of the castle, depicted in 1826
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