Analysis of masonry at Lathom House, Lancashire
Sum awarded: £3,700
The project will record and examine architectural fragments recovered from excavations at the late-medieval palace owned by the Earls of Derby and demolished in the 17th century. Each stone will be numbered, photographed, profiled by a specialist which will give us a better understanding of the castle’s appearance in the Middle Ages and its influence on Tudor palaces in South East England, particularly Richmond Palace.
The stone Lathom House was built by the Stanley family, the Earls of Derby. The castle was besieged twice in the Civil War, first in 1644 and again in 1645, before it was then slighted. Nothing remains of the medieval structure above ground, though the Earls of Derby replaced Lathom House with a new building in the 18th century. Excavations between 1997 and 2009 uncovered medieval masonry – establishing the location of the castle for the first time and providing the material this project will work with.
