PanzerKaput Goes To Barons' War

William the Conqueror made Simon de St. Liz the first Norman Earl of Northampton, and he is now well known in the town for building the Castle. It is more than likely there was some sort of Saxon or Danish fortification in place on the site prior to the building of the Castle. In addition to the Castle, St Liz built St. Andrew’s Priory, many parts of early Norman Northampton, and, after the first Crusade in 1099, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Sheep Street.

It is probably when St. Liz died that the Castle passed into the hands of King Henry I, who had previously held an important meeting at the Castle in 1106. The most famous event to occur at the Castle is surely the trial of Saint Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, which occurred in 1164 and was held by Henry I’s grandson Henry II and a Grand Council of Barons.

Becket himself probably lodged at nearby St. Andrew’s Priory and would certainly have visited St. Peter’s church too. His escape towards France under the cover of darkness is well known as is his subsequent murder at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.

Another important historical figure associated with the Castle is King John (1199-1216) who spent all the feast days (Christmas, Easter and Whitsun) at Northampton and is known to have visited the Castle on no less than 30 occasions. Indeed he thought so much of Northampton that he moved the Royal Treasury to the Castle in 1205. The struggles against the Barons took place here in several Great Councils, leading to the Magna Carta in 1215.

In the civil wars between King John and his barons, the latter used it as a stronghold. When the King prevailed, the castle was entrusted to Falkes de Breauté, whom the King admired for his courage during the war. There was a second siege of Northampton Castle in 1215. It was broken by Flemish mercenaries sent by King John. When the king defeated the garrison, the castle reverted to the crown, but was later destined to be owned by the confederate barons.